Clean air requirements

Once again, the Washington politicians are ignoring the wishes of citizens by legislating changes to the new clean air requirements for cement manufacturers. They claim their runaway legislation (HR 2681) is about jobs, but it is plain to see that the new EPA regulations would in fact be creating jobs. Installation and maintenance of the clean-burning equipment that has been proven effective by the EPA would result in an explosion of employment opportunities throughout the country, and the public would suffer less from the extensive medical costs associated with airborne pollution.

The equipment upgrade cost in "excess of $1 million" per plant quoted by Rep. Emerson is small change compared to the $832.92 million in net U.S. sales reported by Buzzi Unicem last year. Perhaps she could direct her energy toward the support of clean job growth in the U.S., rather than voting to further subsidize the polluting practices of a foreign-owned company such as Buzzi Unicem.

The majority of U.S. citizens recognize their right to breathe clean air and do not accept the industrial practices that pollute it. Politicians need to be reminded that they represent us, not the multinational corporations.

JAMES MAGINEL, Tamms, Ill.