[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CEMENT SECTOR REGULATORY RELIEF ACT (H.R. 2681) AND THE EPA REGULATORY 
                         RELIEF ACT (H.R. 2250)

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker this week the House of Representatives 
considered two bills that continue the Majority's assault on public 
health and the environment. The so-called ``Cement Sector Regulatory 
Relief Act'' and the ``EPA Regulatory Relief Act'' would delay or 
eliminate air pollution safeguards for industrial incinerators, 
boilers, and cement plans. Should these dangerous bills become law, the 
air we breathe would contain more mercury, arsenic, lead, and acid gas.
  These misguided pieces of legislation would undermine the 
Environmental Protection Agency's ability to enforce the Clean Air Act 
and significantly limit the federal government's ability to ensure that 
the air we breathe is safe and pollution-free.
  Sadly, these bills are just the latest in a long line of bills from 
the majority that put big polluter profits before the health and safety 
of the American people. From the Dirty Air Act that would remove EPA's 
statutory authority to regulate carbon pollution to legislation that 
exempts offshore drilling operations from having to control their 
pollution emissions and legislation that would allow power plants to 
emit more and more toxic air pollution, the majority seems intent on 
rolling back programs that preserve our environment, protect our public 
health, and grow our economy.
  For forty years the Clean Air Act has been successful in protecting 
public health and preventing deaths from respiratory disease because it 
was written to follow science as science evolved. The success of the 
Clean Air Act is because its regulations are based in science. 
Legislators shouldn't pretend to be scientists.
  I urge my colleagues to vote no on these dangerous bills.

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