Albuquerque, NM - Environment New Mexico released an analysis today documenting that Rep. Steve Pearce voted to deny longstanding Clean Water Act protections to many streams and wetlands at a time when 47 percent of New Mexico’s assessed rivers and streams and 69 percent of New Mexico’s assessed lakes are already too polluted for fishing, swimming or other uses.
“New Mexico needs a U.S. senator who understands the importance of clean water to the state’s economy and our environment and who will take on the polluters,” said Environment New Mexico Clean Water Advocate Christy Leavitt. “Unfortunately, Rep. Steve Pearce has stood with George Bush and the polluters as they have worked to dismantle America’s protections for clean water.”
Environment New Mexico’s online publication documented that Rep. Steve Pearce also:
- Voted to allow polluters to conceal more information about the 54,000 pounds of toxic chemicals dumped each year into New Mexico’s waterways —undermining the public’s right to know about environmental threats.
- Voted to give Big Oil a free pass to avoid liability for contamination from the toxic gasoline additive MTBE, which has fouled drinking water supplies serving 39,000 New Mexico residents.
- Voted against critical funding for the repair and upgrading of outdated sewer systems in New Mexico and elsewhere across the country.
The last eight years under President Bush represent a large step backward that contrasts with sharply with decades of progress in protecting water supplies, according to the group. Among his anti-environment actions of special concern to New Mexicans, President Bush has:
- Moved to eliminate Clean Water Act protections for at least 88 percent of New Mexico’s streams—waterways that are critical for a variety of wildlife and that feed the drinking water supplies of more than 200,000 people.
- Curtailed enforcement of the Clean Water Act. For example, major New Mexico facilities exceeded their permitted amounts of water pollution 100 times in 2005.
- Curbed the public’s right to know about toxic pollution of waterways by allowing polluters to conceal more information about their toxic discharges.
- Put the interests of Big Oil ahead of the public by exempting the construction of oil and gas drilling sites from the Clean Water Act.
“Time and again, Steve Pearce has stood with George Bush and the polluters to weaken protections for America’s waterways. On the other hand, Rep. Tom Udall has been a strong leader fighting for protection of New Mexico’s critical water supplies,” concluded Leavitt.
For more information, contact: Ivan Frishberg or Jen Mueller, 202-683-1250.
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Paid for by Environment New Mexico at www.EnvironmentNewMexico.org and by Environment America at www.EnvironmentAmerica.org.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
