Political Quotes

“I very much thank my good friend. An environmental impact statement found that between 1985 and 2002, nearly 2,000 miles of streams were buried or destroyed by mountaintop removal. Not surprisingly, peer-reviewed scientific studies continued to confirm the devastation on the surrounding environment and wildlife habitats of the numerous toxic chemicals, like arsenic and mercury, that enter into streams as mountaintops are blasted and bulldozed away. We found in a 2011 study that cancer rates were twice as high in communities exposed to the effects of mountaintop mining. In the journal Science, we found, likewise, chronic pulmonary disorders in coal country. A 2011 study of births in Appalachia from 1996 to 2003 found that counties near mountaintop mining areas had substantially higher rates of multiple types of birth defects. Congress should welcome regulations that are going to save and enhance American lives, not put them in jeopardy; and unfortunately, this bill gives a green light to remove mountain summits and dump their waste into nearby valleys and streams. The fact is that coal has been the mainstay of Appalachia's economy for more than 100 years, but it has yet to make the region prosperous. We are talking about jobs. We need healthy people, and we need healthier environments. So I urge a rejection of this legislation.”