Ed Markey: “I yield myself 2 minutes. In this legislation, the Republican majority exempts all so-called nuisance dust from the…”

“I yield myself 2 minutes. In this legislation, the Republican majority exempts all so-called nuisance dust from the protective air quality standards for coarse particle or soot pollution under the Clean Air Act. Republicans have defined ``nuisance dust'' to include particulate matter that is generated from ``earth moving or other activities that are typically conducted in rural areas.'' This legislation's broad definition means a bill which is supposed to be all about tractors and farms is actually about barring EPA from regulating the toxic soot that comes out of mines, smelters, chemical plants. And that's because all of these materials come from earth moving, natural materials, or activities that take place in rural areas. Now, I don't know about the majority, but when most people hear the word ``nuisance'' they think of things like honking horns, telemarketers, and buzzing flies. They don't think of poison. By preventing EPA from regulating the toxic soot spewing out of mining operations, smelters, chemical facilities, and construction sites, Republicans have apparently decided that poisonous chemicals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury are mere nuisances. This false advertising is not a total surprise. We have heard from Republican witnesses in the past who, in defense of the most polluting industries, have unwillingly offered up the absurd.…”