Political Quotes

“This amendment would impede the EPA's ability to regulate toxic air pollutants from glass manufacturers. EPA currently requires glass manufacturers to limit their air toxic emissions, which contain carcinogenic heavy metals like arsenic and lead. My good friend, Mr. Jenkins', amendment seeks to block these requirements from refined glass manufacturers that do not use continuous furnaces or that produce less than 50 tons of glass per year. I point out at the present time there are no Federal air toxic emission regulations that cover those types of glass facilities. So this amendment tries to fix a problem that doesn't really exist, and in the process, it would hamstring the EPA's ability to protect public health. Just this year, we saw that glass manufacturers who do not use a continuous furnace may also pose a significant health risk to neighboring communities in Oregon, just to the south of me. Air monitoring data showed that glass manufacturers using a batch process were emitting high levels of arsenic and chromium. The EPA has been investigating the situation to ensure that other communities are not exposed to these harmful contaminants. While these manufacturers are only a small portion of the market, reports have shown that these facilities can be alarmingly close to homes and even to schools, having serious implications for the health of nearby families and kids.…”