Capitol Coal Plant Victory

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Nick Berning, 202-222-0748
Chris Weiss, 202-421-7319

Capitol Coal Plant Victory: Reid, Pelosi Call for End to Use of Coal

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A multi-year effort to “green” the U.S. Capitol complex appears likely to result in a major victory after today’s announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that they want the plant to switch to cleaner natural gas.

“We’ve been fighting to clean up the Capitol for years—it’s an important symbol for the whole nation,” said Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder. “Dirty coal plants all over the country continue to release heat-trapping gases and pollute the air we breathe, so there remains much work to be done, but today’s announcement is a signal of a major change in direction. I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid for their leadership.”

Just yesterday, Blackwelder and representatives of Earthjustice and the Sierra Club sent letters to Reid and Pelosi asking that they stop using coal at the Capitol power plant.

Today’s announcement comes less than a week before a nonviolent civil disobedience action is planned outside of the Capitol coal plant. That action will still go forward.

Last year, Friends of the Earth defended Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “Greening the Capitol” initiative from attacks by Representative Vernon Ehlers: http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_10/news/26863-1.html?type=printer_frie...

Friends of the Earth (www.foe.org) is the U.S. voice of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, with member groups in 77 countries. Since 1969, Friends of the Earth has fought to create a more healthy, just world.