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"Guinta was wrong on TRAIN Act vote"
The Nashua Telegraph, Letters, November 4, 2011
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill called the TRAIN Act (HR 2401), which included a lengthy delay of two important Clean Air Act measures: the Mercury MACT Rule and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.
Rep. Frank Guinta, R-N.H., joined the pro-polluter majority in the House and voted for legislation that would expose Americans to toxic mercury and increase asthma attacks brought on by smog pollution for hundreds of thousands of New Hampshire citizens.
It is disappointing that Guinta would claim the costs of basic pollution protections that New Hampshire and America have relied on for 40 years are too high.
If the TRAIN Act is signed into law, 34,000 lives could be lost, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That is 34,000 people who could be saved by protections against dangerous pollution and who Guinta and the majority in the House have identified as collateral damage.
As the grandmother of two New Hampshire boys – one with asthma, the other with still young developing lungs – I feel a healthy economy begins with healthy people. Allowing corporations to dump toxic pollution into the air that our children and families breathe won’t help the economy recover.
I applaud the president for his vow to veto this bill and urge New Hampshire Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen to reject the House’s reckless attack on American values and clean air.
I urge all citizens to voice your opposition to the TRAIN Act to your representatives.
Wendy Goddard
Derry, New Hampshire
