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

Posted: 07/18/2011 10:20 am EDT Updated: 09/17/2011 5:12 am EDT

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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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)
Greenpeace writes: "House Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has taken an astounding $655,547 since the 2000 election season from fossil fuel industry heavyweights like Dominion" (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Greenpeace writes: "As Whitfield fights commonsense EPA safeguards that would protect the safety and health of Kentuckians, he has taken a staggering $426,447 in campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies like coal polluters AEP and Southern Company. Meanwhile the three coal plants in Whitfield's district have caused 186 deaths per year. None of these three plants in Whitfield's district have installed mercury controls."
Greenpeace writes: Upton voted to stop EPA from reducing mercury and other toxic air pollution from cement plants. Coal Caucus members are threatening with a bill to strip EPA's budget to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. Upton voted yes for this bill in committee. Upton sponsored and pushed through his committee a bill to keep EPA from making coal companies reduce global warming pollution. Upton voted yes to an amendment in the budget bill that would stop EPA from developing protections from coal ash pollution. Upton voted three times in support of coal-industry amendments on mountaintop removal mining. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Altimire $175,550 since the 2006 election season. Coal donors include Allegheny Energy ($19,250), National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($16,500), and FirstEnergy Corporation ($13,500)." (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Costello $168,650 since the 1998 election season. Coal donors include Ameren Corporation ($49,600), Peabody Energy ($25,100), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($18,100)." (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Critz $64,500 since the 2008 election season. Coal donors include Mepco LLC ($31,500), Alpha Natural Resources ($11,000), and CONSOL Energy ($5,000)." (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Emerson $246,961 since the 1998 election season. Coal donors include National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($61,303), Ameren Corporation ($38,750), and Peabody Energy ($31,050)." (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Hastings $206,519 since the 1998 election season. Coal donors include National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($43,915), American Electric Power ($10,000), and Xcel Energy ($4,750)." (AP Photo/Young Kwak, File)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Johnson $24,286 in the last election cycle. Coal donors include Murray Coal ($13,036), East Fairfield Coal Company ($2,000), and NiSource Incorporated ($1,000)."
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Matheson $431,297 since the 2000 election season. Coal donors include National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($40,500), Arch Coal ($17,000), and Southern Company ($15,000)." (AP PHOTO/DESERET NEWS/TOM SMART)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Murphy $525,435 since the 2002 election season. Coal donors include Allegheny Energy ($58,200), CONSOL Energy ($53,350), and PPL Corporation ($23,000)" (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Pearce $1,274,041 since the 2002 election season. Major coal donors include PNM Resources ($22,450), National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($19,797), and Xcel Energy ($11,000)." (AP Photo/Roswell Daily Record Mark Wilson)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Rogers $408,649 since the 2000 election season. Coal donors include CMS Energy ($36,000), DTE Energy ($34,950), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ($25,999)." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Greenpeace writes: "Fossil fuel industry has given Tiberi $503,106 since the 2000 election season. Coal donors include American Electric Power ($92,500), FirstEnergy Corporation ($54,000), and Boich Company ($41,800)."