Issue Position: Environmental Policy

Issue Position

As an avid sportsman, Congressman McHenry appreciates the natural beauty present in the United States; and North Carolina's Tenth District contains some of America's most breathtaking scenery. It is important to provide adequate protections to our natural treasures for future generations.

Congressman McHenry supports President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative. Clear Skies would dramatically improve air quality by cutting power plant emissions of three critical pollutants -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury -- by 70%, much more than the current Clean Air Act requires. These reductions would eliminate 35 million more tons of pollutants from the air within the next decade than the Clean Air Act would.

The Clear Skies Act would also bring about cleaner air in a more reliable and cost-effective manner than current law. In fact, it would save Americans as much as $1 billion dollars annually in compliance costs that businesses have to pay to meet the cumbersome red-tape and regulations required by present law.

Finally, Congressman McHenry believes firmly that the culture of the Environmental Protection Agency must be reformed so that it works to help businesses and individuals comply with regulations instead of strictly acting in a punitive manner and working to put good people out of business. Congressman McHenry supports common sense measures where business, government agencies and citizens work together to address local concerns and comply with environmental regulations.

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