Senator Brown Votes to Protect Public Health

Media Releases

Environment Ohio

Columbus, OH– To the disappointment of major polluters, today the U.S. Senate defeated Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s bid to allow more soot and smog-forming pollution from power plants. SJ Res 27. Sen. Paul’s legislation would have put 3,209 lives at risk every year in Ohio alone. Senator Brown stood up for public health and voted against this dangerous proposal.
“Today, the Senate voted to protect Ohioan lives by rejecting more pollution in our air,” said Matt Caffrey, Field Associate, for Environment Ohio.  “Ohioans can feel proud that Senator Brown sided with the people of Ohio over polluters by rejecting this sweeping assault on our health.” 
The legislation that was defeated sought to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently finalized Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which requires upwind power plants to reduce soot and smog-forming pollution so people in downwind states can breathe cleaner air. Exposure to soot and smog can lead to asthma, heart attacks, and premature death. The legislation was particularly dangerous because it would have barred EPA from ever implementing a similar standard to reduce harmful power plant emissions that cross state borders.
“Today Senator Brown stood up for Americans’ health and well-being,” said Caffrey. “We applaud Senator Brown for his vote, and we will be counting on him to continue to vote in favor of clean air and public health in the future. We are disappointed that Senator Portman sided with polluters over the health of Ohio families.”

Environment Ohio is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization working to protect the places we love and the environmental values we share. For more information visit www.environmentohio.org