The Republicans in the House of Representatives call H.R. 1734 the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act, but they’ve got an awfully funny idea of what improvement looks like. The legislation, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, weakens the regulation of toxic wastes like coal sludge that result from coal mining and processing. H.R. 1734 actually lowers standards coal companies have to follow. The legislation puts Appalachian communities at risk, and does it for the sake of corporate profits.
Before the bill received its final approval, some U.S. Representatives tried to restore protections for communities in coal country into the legislation. Frank Pallone introduced an amendment that would have restored transparency requirements destroyed by H.R. 1734. The transparency measures in the Pallone amendment would have provided the public the right to have basic information about the toxic coal wastes being stored in their back yards. Alma Adams and Gerald Connolly introduced amendments that would have required strict monitoring of the ground water around coal sludge dumps, to make sure that people’s drinking water remains safe.
Not one single Republican in the House of Representatives voted to support these amendments.
G.K. Butterfield introduced another amendment, one that would block H.R. 1734 from taking effect if it is determined that the legislation’s lax lower standards for protection of drinking water endangers the health of babies and pregnant women.
Protecting the health of pregnant women, and the unborn babies they carry in their bodies, is supposed to be a rock solid plank of the Republican Party’s platform. They call it being Pro-Life. They say they won’t tolerate anything that endangers America’s unborn babies…
…well, except for the financial interests of big coal companies.
Yesterday, not one Republican in the House of Representatives voted to protect the lives of infants and unborn babies from the toxic effects of coal sludge in their mother’s drinking water.
It looks like Republican politicians are Pro-Life only until corporate lobbyists come to visit their offices with cash in hand.