Boulder Creek, Global Warming Solutions, Mercury Pollution Limits Withstand Assault in U.S. Senate

Environment Colorado

Washington, DC – Early Saturday morning, the U.S. Senate voted for increased resources for our parks and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is set to protect beloved places like Boulder Creek in Colorado from overdevelopment and pollution. 

The Senate also rejected polluter-friendly measures to block the clean-up of global warming (amendment #359) and mercury pollution (amendment #514), but voted to advance the dirty Keystone XL tar sands pipeline (amendment #494). All of these measures, offered as amendments to the Senate budget resolution, were non-binding, as was the underlying budget resolution itself.

Anneli Berube, Field Organizer with Environment Colorado issued the following statement in response:

“Protecting places like Boulder Creek, tackling global warming, and saving children from mercury pollution should all be no-brainers. When it came to defending our progress cleaning up harmful mercury and global warming pollution from dirty power plants, Senators Udall and Bennet chose the environment and our health over polluters’ interests.

“Last year – the hottest year on record in the U.S. – global warming contributed to extreme weather events like the wildfires that spread across Colorado last summer, and the ongoing drought that is the worst since the Dust Bowl. Senator Udall knows that we can’t afford any major steps backward combating the carbon pollution fueling global warming. I applaud him for defending the cleanup of new power plants – which, without strong standards – would be able to spew carbon pollution without limit. Senator Udall also admirably voted down amendments to block the clean-up of mercury pollution, a potent neurotoxin, and to green-light the dirty Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would facilitate the reckless extraction of one of the most carbon-rich deposits on the planet.

“While Senator Bennet did vote to keep our life-saving mercury pollution standard, I am disappointed that he voted to force the approval and construction of the dirty Keystone XL pipeline, which, if approved by the State Department and President Obama, would further destabilize our climate and endanger our health and environment in Colorado.

“Lovers of Colorado’s numerous parks and open spaces should be thrilled that the Senate voted to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a landmark program that keeps development and pollution away from the best of our natural heritage – and with a track record of success in Colorado. Going forward, I hope the Senate will do more to advance real solutions, like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to our most pressing environmental challenges.”