New TV Ads Highlight Sutton, Stivers Votes on Clean Air and Public Health

Protect the People, not the Polluters, says Environment Ohio

Environment Ohio

October 12, 2011 – Columbus, OH:  With Congress waging an all out assault on the Clean Air Act, a new television ad campaign in Ohio launched yesterday highlights the public health impact of votes taken by Reps. Betty Sutton and Steve Stivers regarding clean air standards. 
Though both Sutton and Stivers are the subjects of the campaign, they are being singled out for different reasons. Sutton is praised for her courageous stand against the polluters and for air pollution safeguards while Stivers is being rapped for his numerous votes to protect polluters and endanger public health.
 “Steve Stivers is putting polluters before people and endangering public health by opposing common sense clean air safeguards that would curb harmful air pollution,” said Julian Boggs of Environment Ohio, the sponsor of the advertisements. “We are holding Rep. Stivers accountable for his votes to block common sense safeguards that will curb dangerous air pollution from toxics substances like mercury and arsenic. Most recently, he voted for the TRAIN Act [H.R. 2401], one of the most dangerous anti-public health bills in years.”
The House of Representatives passed HR 2401, the TRAIN Act, On September 23rd.   This bill would indefinitely delay two critical Clean Air Act standards (the Mercury and Air Toxic Standard and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule) that limit soot, smog, mercury and other toxic pollutants like arsenic, cadmium, dioxin, lead, and formaldehyde from power plants.  [Roll Call Vote #741, 9/23/11] Ohio is the third-highest emitter of mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants in the nation, according to Environment Ohio. 
Stivers voted in favor of this bill while Rep. Betty Sutton voted against it.
“We need Representatives like Betty Sutton, who will stand up for the children and families in Ohio instead of standing with the polluters,” Boggs added. “Her courageous vote put the people of Michigan before the polluter lobbyists in Washington and the people of Ohio are grateful to her for that vote.”
To view the Stivers ad, click here.  To view the Sutton ad, click here. 
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Environment Ohio is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization working to protect the places we love like Lake Erie and Hocking Hills, and the environmental values we share.