Contact: Chuck Porcari (cell: (240) 286-7566) or Mark Sokolove (cell: (703) 599-7656) or (202) 785-8683

WASHINGTON - The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community, today named Senator Russ Feingold (D) as a 2004 Environmental Champion in his race for reelection to the U.S. Senate. 

LCV Environmental Champions are candidates who have proven their pro-environment commitment through their substantive action.  LCV supports these outstanding leaders by rewarding them with direct contributions and fundraising to help ensure they are reelected to Congress as we continue to build America³ pro-environment majority.

)s proud to name Senator Feingold as an environmental champion in his race for reelection,� Vice President for Policy.  �wn his commitment to protecting our environment and health.  He has been a leader in the fight to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and clear water protections, and is a strong advocate for better energy policy and clean air standards.�le="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 80%">Senator Feingold is an original cosponsor of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge bill, introduced in 2003 to protect that wilderness area from oil and gas drilling.  In 2001, he cosponsored the successful amendment that delayed oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes for two years to allow for further study of the impact drilling would have on the lakes and the quality of drinking water.  Instead of reliance on fossil fuels, he advocates development of a new energy policy that emphasizes efficiency and alternative energy sources.  �����to find other sources of energy, to use existing sources more efficiently, to address consumption and to promote sutainable sources,�
  
In an effort to improve air quality, Senator Feingold cosponsored the Clean Power Act of 2003, which would strengthen the Clean Air Act by requiring coal-fired power plants to meet strict standards for emissions of pollutants including carbon dioxide and mercury.  This April he joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Environmental Protection Agency to better regulate mercury emissions, which can be harmful to human health and the environment.

Senator Feingold has earned an outstanding lifetime score of 95% on the LCV Scorecard in his two terms representing Wisconsin.

For information on all of LCV³ 2004 Environmental Champions, visit our website.

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The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community.  LCV, which is not a partisan organization, is the only national organization working full-time to hold Congress and the president accountable for their environmental actions.  For more information, please visit us on the web at www.lcv.org.