Great stuff as always from Sen. Donald McEachin, this time blasting back at an anti-environment Republican delegate’s “utter nonsense” – this time, a supposed “conspiracy” with regard to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Uh, yeah, right.
Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) today released this statement countering Delegate
Todd’s remarks about the Chesapeake Bay over the past weekend. Senator McEachin said, “I was dismayed to hear that yet another Republican has joined the Republican efforts to turn back the clock and not do what is critically necessary to protect the Chesapeake Bay. This time it’s Delegate Todd Gilbert who is doing his best to create misplaced fear with false accusations. Just this past weekend he told a group of young farmers that attempts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay are really a conspiracy of “urban” legislators to take farms away and destroy farmers’ “heritage.”“This is, of course, utter nonsense. Cleaning up the Bay will protect farmers by ensuring they have a clean water source for their crops. Moreover, a clean Chesapeake Bay will protect other critical jobs here in the Commonwealth. Watermen need a clean Bay for their fishing businesses to prosper. Tourism depends on access to clean unpolluted waters.”
Senator McEachin continued, “Pollution in the Bay comes from numerous sources including subdivision runoff, and large “point-source” polluters such as power plants. No legislator has tried to implicate farmers as the primary perpetrators. Delegate Gilbert is attempting to do what Republican politicians like him often try to do – scare people to distract them from the important issue, in this case, ensuring that Virginians and their families have access to a clean and unpolluted Chesapeake Bay.
“And we await Governor Bob McDonnell’s position. Does he accept the huge amount of scientific evidence for climate change or doesn’t he? Does he want to clean up the Chesapeake Bay or doesn’t he? Is he waiting for a poll to reveal his position to him? Delegate Gilbert seems to think that Governor McDonnell is in favor of allowing continued pollution of the Bay. I call on the Governor to demonstrate leadership, acknowledge the facts and ensure that the Bay is maintained for future generations.
“It’s time for Virginia Republicans to stop railing against the facts and against the needs of
Commonwealth. As EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, ‘A better solution would be to join the vast majority of the American people who want to see more green jobs, more clean energy innovation, and an end to the oil addiction that pollutes our planet and jeopardizes our national security.'”The Senator concluded, “Virginia Republican leaders need to stop playing politics with our
future and our children’s and grandchildren’s future. Let’s create jobs by finding real solutions to address the problems of pollution and climate change right here in the Commonwealth rather than engaging in inaccurate and unnecessary accusations.”Senator McEachin’s statement comes on the heels of the recent EPA formally rejection of
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s misguided attempt to deny the existence of climate change.
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