Greenpeace Report Reveals Congress Members Who Support Pollution, Names Bachmann And Cantor (PHOTOS)

Greenpeace has released a new report naming the 15 members of Congress who the organization believes have undermined their voters' health by supporting pollutants that come predominantly from coal-fired power plants.

“Polluting Democracy: Coal Plays Dirty on the Hill,” names the congressional members who have tried to prevent the EPA from improving pollution standards for these plants. According to the report, all but one of these members of Congress are ranked in the top 25% of those receiving money from the fossil fuel industry.

Greenpeace reports:

The majority of the aging US coal fleet has not installed readily available technology that could reduce mercury pollution by 90%. Coal combustion is responsible for most US mercury pollution. Mercury contributes to thousands of deaths annually and may adversely affect the development of over 400,000 babies per year. Mercury exposure is a serious problem for the lungs, brain, heart, stomach, kidneys, and immune system. Much airborne mercury often falls back to the ground and waterways within only 100 or so miles of where it is emitted, but it is re-emitted into the air, floats down streams, and accumulates in animals that cannot digest it.

In March, the American Lung Association released a report on the health hazards surrounding coal-fired power plants. The report stated, “Particle pollution from power plants is estimated to kill approximately 13,000 people a year... Coal-fired power plants that sell electricity to the grid produce more hazardous air pollution in the U.S. than any other industrial pollution sources.”

Greenpeace Senior Legislative Representative Kyle Ash said, “The fifteen Representatives named in this report are acting against the interests of the communities that they represent, and the dirty money that they’re taking from the coal industry is taken at the expense of America’s health and safety. We must urge our representatives to let EPA do its job by protecting us from dangerous toxins produced by coal-fired power plants.”

Check out the "Dirty Money Team":

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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

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Greenpeace writes: "Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has taken $131,980 in campaign financing since 2006. The plants in both Bachmann's and Cantor's districts don't have the readily available mercury controls that would save lives among the constituents they represent." (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Greenpeace writes: "Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has taken $131,980 in campaign financing since 2006. The plants in both Bachmann's and Cantor's districts don't have the readily available mercury controls that would save lives among the constituents they represent."

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Comments

[Linda Natoli]

10:19 AM on 08/30/2011

JUST ANTHOR GLANCE INTO THE VALUES OF MICHELE BACHMANN REGARDING THE

QUALITY OF LIFE OF TH AVERGE AMERICAN!

[Linda Natoli]

10:15 AM on 08/30/2011

WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED ABOUT BACHMANN's views on pollution just another reason for her

TOTAL LACK OF CONCERN ABOUT PEOPLE AND WHAT AFFECTS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE

[4plaintruth]

01:30 AM on 07/30/2011

In all honesty, I'm surprised a few Democrats made it into this list. But I guess they lend their faces to those in the party that have been bought by corporate America. Shame on them- they've betrayed the people that sent them to Congress & hope those that elected them kick them out when elections come.
I had PP&L years ago when living in Lancaster, PA. Had no idea they were into coal- but do know they use water turbines to create electricity under the Susquehanna River. I wouldn't be surprised after reading this, if they also had their poisoned hands into nuclear as well. Maybe they only put the turbines in to satisfy us Tree Huggers? I wonder...

[dmatic]

10:05 PM on 07/29/2011

WHY! We the people are the failing ourselves!! Boy having a president that is different is really teaching america that we are never going to be great ever again! TEA PARTY IS THE BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY!

[Mandy Ann Osipchuk]

08:19 AM on 07/23/2011

Thank you Green peace, for gathering this important voter data together, all in one place and posting for all to see. Knowledge is power and time is needed to gather the knowledge together and post it in a place where voters can see it. We need more of this. We have been lied too for way too long and its time to change. These jokers will not get my vote, until they start working for the children of this planet and not greed! And to think this jerk is a mother. It makes me sick to think she takes campaign bribes from them & helps Big Energy poison her children & mine. Sick. How did people get so greedy? Go home and stock up allegro allergy everyone. And think how happy Big Pharma & the Health Care industry is that we will be a society of Asthma Cancer stricken folks thanks to people like this Yeah! CATS OUTTA the bag.

[Howard Scott Pearlman 20]

04:00 PM on 07/22/2011

They ought to start sending Corporate Coal Heads to JAIL for every Violation their companies get caught with.

[Howard Scott Pearlman 20]

03:57 PM on 07/22/2011

Most of the Dirty Dozen plus 4 are Republicans.

Why do Republicans HATE America so much ?

[HHUA]

11:10 PM on 07/22/2011

"Why do Republican­s HATE America so much ?"

Bingo!

Because their overlords (who pay handsomely for the privilege of owning them) are mostly "multi-national" corporations that have NO allegiance to America... Only to their own bank accounts! Yes, the sanctioned bribery of our politicians is working out great isn't it?!!!

[Mandy Ann Osipchuk]

08:20 AM on 07/23/2011

Demon spawn comes to mind.

[antipodal2u]

12:59 PM on 07/21/2011

Sneer

[HHUA]

11:28 AM on 07/21/2011

Well obviously the American Lung Association is in on the "conspiracy" (with the worlds scientists).

I think we should listen to Rush... he knows better cause he says he does!

[MJinCanada]

10:52 PM on 07/21/2011

The simple fact is that the US Geological Survey has re-estimated US coal reserves and now calculates that the US has around 130 years of *accessible* coal, at current usage. Of course, other countries will run out sooner, which is why they're switching to renewables already.

One scientist pointed out that some 30% of the US's known coal deposits are in Alaska, way up in the permafrost zone where mining is impossible with current technology. Those big draggers will just sink into the melting muck and tip over. Much of the rest is high in sulphur and other pollutants and/or low quality and/or very deep and expensive to mine.

The pigeons will come home to roost, even if they are greyer with pollution.

[fisher2737]

11:01 AM on 07/21/2011

This whole article is worthless. That's all i have to say

[HHUA]

11:30 AM on 07/21/2011

If you're going to "say" anything please say something that makes sense. Care to expound?

[fisher2737]

12:07 PM on 07/21/2011

Everything makes sense in it's own vernacular. The article makes no sense at all Just political rederick At let's see something that is at least "semi-important" That is the extent of my expounding.

[Gushopper]

10:12 AM on 07/21/2011

This can't be true - Ms. Bachmann is pro-life. And there's another flying pig....

[jimme]

08:18 AM on 07/21/2011

The wants of a few, exceed the needs of the many.

They get rich, then move away from their destruction.

[HHUA]

11:32 AM on 07/21/2011

Ding Ding Ding... We have a winner!!!

Eventually, there won't be anywhere left for them to move but shortsightedness rules the day.

[joeyfoto]

07:51 AM on 07/21/2011

America has legalized and institutionalized bribery.

Why keep complaining? Start raising money and go buy some politicians.

[HHUA]

11:33 AM on 07/21/2011

Fanned and faved!

[Ramon Noches]

12:20 AM on 07/21/2011

It’s a hand and mouth deal, hand them the money then they mesmerize their voters with sweet words of encouragement and promises. In other words in America, money trumps ballots and too many folks may not be smart enough to get it.

[HHUA]

11:34 AM on 07/21/2011

Correction... too many folks are 'definitely' not smart enough to get it!

fan # 31

[Jared Willis]

07:29 AM on 07/24/2011

quit bitching and run for political office yourself.

[Chassis]

11:04 PM on 07/20/2011

"that would save lives among the constituents they represent." More leftwing BS, You can't "save lives", all of us die, That's the way it works.

[joeyfoto]

07:57 AM on 07/21/2011

Chassis wrote: ""that would save lives among the constituen­ts they represent.­" More leftwing BS, You can't "save lives", all of us die, That's the way it works."

That may be the dumbest post in the history of Huffington post and that is not an inconsiderable achievement.

To write that a person would need to be ignorant of the concept of years of healthy and productive life that can be saved from early poising and death by preventable pollution. I don't believe in poll taxes or minimum IQs for posting, but there has to be some standard.

I'll ask again: "Can we have a "FLAG AS STUPID" button?

[Chassis]

11:02 AM on 07/21/2011

OK genius, do you know anyone over 110? Fact, all people die. It's conjecture as to how productive they may be, your case included. I'd hit the "FAS" button on you.

[HHUA]

12:08 PM on 07/21/2011

This one really does 'take the cake'!

So apparently he/she sees no difference between living naturally to a ripe old age of 86 vs having your life cut short and dying of lymphoma at age 46 due to pollution?!!!

Well, "brain damage" IS another known symptom of coal pollution... I think we can surmise were this person lives.

[MJinCanada]

11:01 PM on 07/21/2011

Statistics and polisci 100:

Statistics on all countries include a birth rate and a death rate.

The death rate is the number of people who die per year. It does not include "everyone."

When you have an epidemic, a natural disaster such as flooding or drought, wars or just amazingly crappy health care combined with pollution, the death rate will be high. It may even be higher than the birth rate. It will include infants and elderly and all those in between, and many of those deaths could have been prevented because the cause -- wars, unsanitary water, unsafe work conditions, and so on, are preventable.

[Chassis]

11:56 PM on 07/21/2011

What part of this is beyond the scope of understanding? The "death rate" per indivual is always 100%.