Heidi Alexander: “Today Senator Carper and I have joined with Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Gregg, Kaufman, Graham, Feinstein, Shaheen…”

“Today Senator Carper and I have joined with Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Gregg, Kaufman, Graham, Feinstein, Shaheen, Schumer, Lieberman, and Snowe to introduce the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010. This bill is about clean air and the effect of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury emissions of coal-fired power plants on health, jobs, and tourism. This bill does not address carbon emissions. To me the most important aspect of this bill is that for the very first time it puts into federal law requirements that we cut mercury emissions by 90 percent from coal plants, which produce 50 percent of our electricity today. This bill will reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury emissions from power plants by directing EPA to cut mercury emissions at least 90 percent through the best available technology and strengthening national limits on emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power plants with new trading systems that will enable cost-effective reductions of these two pollutants. For Tennesseans this is a bill about our health, it is about tourism in our State and it is about our jobs.”