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Walberg Blasted for Votes Endangering Public Health

October 10, 2011 -- Lansing, MI: A new round of television ads begin airing today criticizing Michigan Representative Tim Walberg for his opposition to new clean air standards that would curb air pollution from toxic pollutants like mercury and arsenic, including his vote on the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011 (the TRAIN Act), which recently passed in the House and aims to block clean air protections against life-threatening air pollution. Walberg has taken $191,920 from Big Oil and other dirty energy interests during his career.

The ads will air in the Lansing market for one week beginning October 11 and are sponsored by Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and the League of Conservation Voters.

"We need Rep. Walberg to stand up for the health of his constituents and Michigan families instead of standing with the polluters," said Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Director.  "Rep. Walberg’s attacks on pollution protections will not create more jobs or economic growth, but will mean more children in the hospital, harder times for families trying to make ends meet and millions of dollars in health bills for Michigan taxpayers."

"Representative Walberg is putting polluters before people and endangering public health by opposing common sense clean air safeguards that would curb harmful air pollution," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the League of Conservation Voters. "Our Representatives must be held accountable for votes that would force us to breathe air polluted with toxics like mercury and arsenic. This campaign will inform Representative Walberg’s constituents of the extreme anti-clean air votes Tim Walberg is taking in Washington."
  
The ad criticizes Walberg for voting for the TRAIN Act, a bill which would indefinitely delay two critical Clean Air Act standards 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]  The TRAIN Act could result in as many as 139,500 American lives lost to air pollution over the next seven years. 
  
The ad sponsors will continue to closely track and respond to anti-clean air votes. Walberg also voted last week in favor of blocking toxic mercury protections for cement plants (H.R. 2681). These bills, as well as the TRAIN Act, are part of a series of attacks on health protections that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced in August. 
  
To view the ad, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXzR7auAskQ 

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About Sierra Club of Michigan: The Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club is the statewide voice for the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. For 40 years, the Michigan Chapter has organized the bold action of citizens working together to protect and restore our Great Lakes state’s health and heritage. 
  
About the League of Conservation Voters: The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is a national non-profit organization that works to turn environmental values into national priorities. To secure the environmental future of our planet, LCV advocates for sound environmental policies, informs the public and holds elected officials accountable for their votes through publications such as the National Environmental Scorecard, and provides the state LCVs with the resources and tools to accomplish and sustain their mission.