Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this legislation, which would delay for another five years Clean Air Act standards for cement kilns that are already thirteen years overdue.

Like so many other bills the current House Leadership has brought before us, this bill is premised on a fundamentally false choice--that we can't have good jobs unless we are willing to breathe dirty air. I don't believe that. And I don't think most Americans believe that. In fact, the entire forty year history of the Clean Air Act demonstrates conclusively that it just isn't true.

The Clean Air Act protections at issue in this legislation will for the first time limit mercury, arsenic, soot, hydrochloric acid and other dangerous emissions from cement kilns. The proposed reductions will prevent as many as 2500 premature deaths and 17,000 asthma attacks annually, and produce $7 to $19 in public health benefits for every $1 spent on cleanup costs. Which is why the protections have the support of reputable public health organizations like the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Rather than undermining our nation's public health, we should be focused on enacting a real jobs agenda to put Americans back to work and accelerate our economic recovery.

I urge a no vote.

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