HOUSE APPROVES CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON'S CLEAN AIR AMENDMENT 

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced today that legislation she authored to halt a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) move to weaken the Clean Air Act was incorporated into the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives on last evening.

"My language within the omnibus bill will prevent polluters from backsliding on public health safeguards and ensures EPA honors its responsibility to protect citizens, not major polluters. EPA should be aiding non-attainment regions like D-FW with sound clean air policy, not hindering them," Congresswoman Johnson said. "I am pleased that my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, joined with me in defeating the Bush Administration’s blatant attack on the Clean Air Act."

The provision prohibits the EPA from using FY’08 funds for a proposal to ease hazardous air emissions standards for major polluters as defined by the Clean Air Act. The measure was initially adopted by a bipartisan vote during the House’s consideration of the Environment Appropriations Bill in June, and subsequently adopted by the House-Senate Appropriations Conference this month.

EPA’s proposal would have substantially weakened the Clean Air Act by letting polluters skirt standards proven effective in reducing cancer-causing air pollutants such as mercury, chlorine, benzene, methanol, and asbestos.

EPA had proposed the change four days before Christmas, while Congress was in recess last year, and without examining the environmental, social or health effects of rolling back the agency’s longstanding interpretation of the Clean Air Act. The agency also neglected to seek regional office input and was "reluctant to share draft policy with the regional offices," according to an internal EPA memo. Consequently, nine of ten of the EPA’s own regional offices opposed or expressed reservations about the change.

"This is not only a victory for clean air, but also a victory for honesty and transparency," stated Congresswoman Johnson. "I hope this sends a message that federal agencies cannot sneak changes in under the radar that benefit polluters and undermine public health safeguards."