Just received this urgent appeal. I know both our Vermont senators will want to save the Clean Air Act! But the more people who sign this petition, the greater impact it will have on the Senate.
The Clean Air Act said back in 1987 (?) that polluting coal plants would have to clean up the mercury emissions at the stack or shut down. If they were old plants they could keep operating until there was an expensive repair. If they opted to pay for that repair, they would have to also start complying to the Clean Air Act by capturing the mercury before it was emitted at the stack. The two Bush(es) and Clinton let them off the hook. IN other words these plants have performed majot upgrades but they have not put in the scrubbers at the stack. They are still operating.. and are the cause of terrible health effects from the mercury and other pollutants. The outcome is more and more emphysema and dire effects on the nervous system of children, especially.
Some of these plants supply the electricity for the Paducah, Kentucky gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment plant that makes the material that eventually becomes the fresh nuclear fuel for Nuclear Power Plants (reactors) (which must shutdown every 18 months for refueling).
If these plants are forced to comply to the Clean Air Act they will have to spend a lot of money to clean up at the stack, which will mean higher cost to the United States Enrichment Corporation, LLC (USEC) which owns Paducah and is trying to get their investors to invest in the completion of the new US Centrifuge Enrichment plant to help keep the 104 US nuclear reactors going.
People who live near the ancient Paducah gaseous diffusion enrichment plant are suffering terribly from the depleted uranium dust. That plant’s hundreds of miles of ancient pipes are leaking out the coolant called CFC-114 (chloro-fluor carbon) which is a very very powerful ozone depleter and green house gas. It would be great if not only the grandfathered-in TVA and Pennsylvania coal plants all had to close along with the Paducah Enrichment plant in Paducah, Kentucky.. That would be a huge benefit to a lot of people living near by and down wind of these filthy and dangerous emitters.
Bonne Nuit! and Thanks!
Ellie (and Paul Gavin), East Charleston, VT .
A new sneak attack in the Senate could block much of the progress
President Obama’s made on global warming and force him to adopt President
Bush’s climate policy.
The vote is set for next week, and at this point it’s too close to call.
If it passes, it will be a major setback for clean energy and global
warming.
I signed a petition urging the Senate to vote against efforts to block
Obama’s enforcement of the Clean Air Act. Can you join me at the link
below?
http://pol.moveon.org/cleanairactvote/?r_by=-8037525-ktwAJpx
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