Trenton, New Jersey — Today LCV Victory Fund, EDF Action, Environment America Action Fund and Clean Water Action announced a comprehensive $1,089,000 effort to defeat pro-polluter Congressman Tom MacArthur in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district. The groups will partner on television ads, digital and door-to-door canvassing until Election Day to ensure voters know that MacArthur sides with corporate polluters over public health.

The campaign kicks off with a TV ad from LCV Victory Fund, which will air across the district for three weeks. The ad references MacArthur’s votes to gut environmental protections, including clean water safeguards that help prevent pollution like the contamination plaguing Toms River.

WATCH: “Here”

Environment America Action Fund is also beginning digital ads this week, which can be viewed here.

“New Jersey families have experienced the impacts of toxic pollution firsthand. Here in Toms River, we’ve feared whether we could drink our water and if illnesses were linked to pollution from Ciba Geigy chemicals. Yet Congressman Tom MacArthur is rolling back the environmental protections that are meant to keep us safe, our water clean and our quality of life healthy. A vote for MacArthur is a vote to go backwards and let corporations spew toxins into our communities,” said Sharron Greenberg, a long-time Toms River resident and Environment New Jersey supporter.

MacArthur has a lifetime environmental voting record of just 14 percent on LCV’s scorecard, 18 percent on Environment America’s and 15 percent from Clean Water Action. He has voted to eliminate water safeguards and undermine clean air standards, despite areas of New Jersey suffering from elevated cancer rates connected to pollution. MacArthur joined the Climate Solutions Caucus in May yet continues to vote anti-climate — in addition to supporting the recent climate denial resolution, he also just voted for measures to prohibit the EPA from putting limits on methane pollution and to require the government to ignore the costs of climate change.

Additionally, MacArthur introduced an amendment to the American Health Care Act that would have stripped protections for pre-existing conditions, which would have exacerbated the impact of increased asthma and heart and lung disease from his bad votes on clean air. He was one of the first candidates to be named to LCV Victory Fund’s “Dirty Dozen” for 2018.

“The people of this district have seen the impact of toxic pollution first-hand, yet Congressman MacArthur has voted consistently to put polluters ahead of protections for his district,” said Joe Bonfiglio, President of EDF Action. “We are proud to be working with local and national public-health advocates to hold Tom MacArthur accountable for his troubling record.”

“New Jersey voters want Congress to stand up to Trump’s attacks on air, water and public lands — not implement his toxic agenda,” said Pete Maysmith, LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President for Campaigns. “When voters learn about Congressman MacArthur’s pro-polluter record, they’ll vote to replace him with someone who will prioritize the environment and public health.”

A Global Strategy Group poll commissioned by LCV Victory Fund and EDF Action found that Trump’s environmental rollbacks — which MacArthur has supported — are very unpopular in the district. The poll found that environmental messaging, combined with the impact of the health care or tax bill, moves 16 percent of voters towards MacArthur’s opponent.

“The people who live in the third congressional district are dependent on having people in Washington who will advocate for Jersey Shore protections, safe drinking water, renewable energy, and other measures to fight against the devastating impacts of climate change like Hurricane Sandy,” said Amy Goldsmith, NJ State Director Clean Water Action. “Since our election launch, Clean Water Action has knocked on over 20,000 households, finding out that many of the voters in the district do not like Dirty Water MacArthur. It’s time to tip the voter scales towards the environment by electing Andy Kim.”

“Based on his voting record Rep. Tom MacArthur has been an environmental zero in Congress. He has not fought for the environment or the quality of life of residents of Burlington or Ocean counties. Instead, he has taken us backwards, by voting to weaken protections for our air and water, to allow offshore oil drilling off the Atlantic and cut funding for our open space,” said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey. “It’s time to hold Congressman MacArthur to account for siding with the polluters and against our environment. That’s why this fall, we are launching this educational effort to let voters know about Rep. MacArthur’s real record of environmental rollbacks.”

A script of LCV Victory Fund’s ad can be found below, and research backup is available here.

“Here”

What Congressman  MacArthur does here.

Affects us, here.

He tried to gut common sense environmental protections — allowing big corporations to spew more toxic pollution into our air — which could lead to more asthma attacks, heart attacks, and cancer.

Worse, MacArthur tried to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions — like asthma, diabetes, even cancer.

Congressman McArthur’s just not for us.

LCV Victory Fund is responsible for the content of this advertising.

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Paid for by LCV Victory Fund, www.lcvvictoryfund.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.