Please ask your Representative to support three pro-environment amendments to this important bill. Keeping our drinking water clean, protecting our largest national forest, and guaranteeing that no minority or low-income community has to shoulder an unfair pollution burden are the goals of these amendments.
Dear Representative ______:
I am urging you to pass a Fiscal Year 2006 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that adequately funds the protection of our environment and public health and includes provisions to safeguard our nation's waters from sewage dumping, protects our public lands, and ensures that no minority or low-income community is exposed to abnormally high public health risks. During floor consideration of the FY06 Interior bill, I urge you to support these three important amendments:
(1) The Chabot-Andrews Tongass Subsidy Amendment, which would end taxpayer subsidies for new logging roads on the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Last year alone, the Forest Service lost $48 million on its timber program in the Tongass, resulting in a breathtaking subsidy of $163,000 for each of the 293 timber jobs on the Tongass.
(2) The Hastings Environmental Justice Amendment, which would prohibit federal funds allocated to EPA from going to programs that conflict with the goal of achieving environmental justice for minority populations and low-income communities. No community should be exposed to disproportionately high levels of water pollution, air pollution, or toxic waste.
(3) The Stupak-Shaw Anti-Sewage Dumping Amendment, which is aimed at preventing the EPA from finalizing the proposed sewage dumping policy that would violate the Clean Water Act by allowing sewage treatment plants to discharge inadequately treated sewage into the nation's lakes, rivers and streams when it rains.
Additionally, I want to urge you to increase funding in the bill for our unique and irreplaceable environment and natural resources, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Our children and grandchildren will greatly benefit from your support of these amendments. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
