Progressives Demand Protections for Air, Water and Climate

WASHINGTON - Nov. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS SUPPORT CLEAN AIR AND WATER

Who: Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) a federal PAC, founded in 2004
What: Visiting Congressional Offices Support Legislation to Protect Air, Water and Climate
Where: On Capitol Hill and in Congressional Districts Nationwide
Why: We support legislation to protect the environment by closing the "Halliburton loopholes" in the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts

Contacts:    Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director tim@pdamerica.org 413-320-2015
Russell Greene, Environmental Coordinator russellgreene@pdamerica.org 310-722-6108

Washington, D.C.--Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) continues their “Educate Congress Campaign” this week at approximately 200 Congressional offices in home districts and on Capitol Hill. This will be the eighth consecutive month of action at more than 150 Congressional offices.

PDA National Director, Tim Carpenter said, “The American people are deeply concerned about “Fracking,” i.e. extracting methane gas and petroleum by injecting chemical-laced water into the ground at high pressure to fracture rock. This practice endangers communities, squanders precious drinking water supplies, and otherwise directly imperils public health and safety.

Carpenter explained, "Fracking compounds and the resulting wastewater contain highly toxic materials—including radioactives and carcinogens. The process itself and the use of carbon fuels increase greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change and increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme weather: 'super storms' such as Sandy and the typhoon that devastated the Philippines, as well as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. It’s hard to conceive of a more inherently irresponsible practice. PDA is calling on the Congress to quickly pass legislation to protect our air, water and climate."

This month, PDA activists will tell legislators to support the following four bills:

   •    S. 1135 The FRAC Act aka Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal a certain exemption for hydraulic fracturing.

   •    H.R. 1175 The FRESHER Act aka Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation Act, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study re: runoff from oil and gas operations.
   •    H.R. 1154 The BREATHE Act aka Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects Act, To amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate the exemption for aggregation of emissions from oil and gas sources.

   •    H.R. 2825 The CLEANER Act aka Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act, to require regulation of wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas.

Progressive Democrats of America is a federal PAC, founded in 2004 to transform American politics and reform the Democratic Party to focus on principles including: economic and social justice; environmental protection; healthcare as a human right; ending corporate rule; election integrity; fair‚ not "free" trade; equality for all; and ending wars and occupations. See: http://www.pdamerica.org/

Contacts:    Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director tim@pdamerica.org 413-320-2015
Russell Greene, Environmental Coordinator russellgreene@pdamerica.org 310-722-6108