Voicemail (November 1, 2007)

Tennesseans need Bredesen’s support.

A hot topic among Tennesseans lately has been the EPA’s review of the eight-hour ground-level ozone standard adopted in 1997. I care about the environment and believe that we should all do our part and strive towards clean air.  I am also well aware of hard work and money that has gone into meeting the standard, which has proved to be challenging, but still achievable.

Since this standard has been in place, it has enabled the most successful 10 years of air quality improvement since the United States has began keeping record. This billions of dollars the proposed rule would cost is clear but the  potential health and environmental benefits gained, if any, are much less certain.  In fact, the science used by the EPA to support the proposed rule has significant flaws.

Let’s allow the current standards a chance to continue to prove their effectiveness. It is unfair for the EPA to move the goal post now before the current standards have even been fully implemented.  I encourage Tennesseans to contact Gov. Bredesen and urge his support on this very important issue.