The Most Anti-Environmental Congressman in Colorado History?

The big news in Colorado is that the U.S. House of Representatives — led by 4th Congressional District Congressman Cory Gardner — has been designated the “Most Anti-Environmental Congress in U.S. History” by pro-environment supporters in the U.S. House. Congressmen Henry Waxman (CA) and Edward Markey (MA) created the report which analyzes 110 votes in the U.S. House since January 2011.

The report, “Anti-Environment Votes in the 112th Congress,” highlights votes that attempt to block action to address climatechange, undermine air and water protection, erode protections for public lands and coastal areas, and block clean energy initiatives.Some of the worst votes have been outrageous attempts to completely gut the Clean Water Act, a decades old law thatprotects the public’s health across America and in Colorado.  Congressman Gardner voted for nearly every single piece of legislation to slash and burn the environment, including the attempt to gut the Clean Water Act.

The report states: “Among federal statutes, the most common targets have been the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act): 26 votes rolled back or defunded the Clean Air Act; 16 votesrolled back or defunded the Clean Water Act; and 10 votes limited the application of NEPA.”

“Rep. Gardner’s votes to gut protections for the environment and public health may make him the most anti-environmental congressman in Colorado history,” said Gary Wockner, Program
Director for Colorado Clean Water Action. “His divisive statements and votes are wildly outside the mainstream of Colorado values and could harm citizens in his district.”

Rep. Gardner has repeatedly attacked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has worked tirelessly for decades to protect Coloradans from polluted air and water. At the very same time that Rep. Gardner has voted to gut the EPA, he has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from polluting industries including Big Oil, gas, and mining companies.

In fact, in his 2010 election, the single biggest contributors to Rep. Gardner’s campaign were the Big Oil and Gas industries. In addition, a report created by the Greeley Tribune in July 2011 showed that Big Oil, gas, and mining are the single biggest contributors to Rep. Gardner’s 2012 election effort to date. “

That Rep. Gardner accepts huge contributions from polluters and then votes to increase the profits of these polluters by gutting protections for public health and the environment raises huge concerns about who he is representing,” said Gary Wockner. “Mainstream citizens of the 4th Congressional District are seeing the economy, the public’s health, and the environment eroded by Rep. Gardner’s votes, while the oil and gas industry — which is having record multi-billion dollar profits quarter after quarter — is getting richer and richer.”

Clean Water Action will keep up the pressure on Rep. Gardner so that Colorado’s mainstream pro-environment values are protected.

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