Embargoed Until |
For More Information: |
Thursday, March 23, 2000 |
Erich Pica, FOE,
(202) 783-7400 ext. 229 |
10:00 a.m., EST |
Cena Swisher, TCS
(202) 546-8500 Ext. 108 |
|
Lexi Shultz, U.S. PIRG
(202)
546-9707 |
Polluting Energy Industries to Receive Over
$26 Billion from Taxpayers
Washington, DC-- Taxpayers will pay more than $26 billion
in the next five years for polluting energy programs that benefit
the oil, gas, coal, and nuclear industries, according to a report
released today by a coalition of taxpayer and environmental
groups.
Paying for Pollution, How Taxpayers Subsidize Dangerous and
Polluting Energy Programs, a report by the Green Scissors
Campaign, led by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense
and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, calls for the
elimination of big tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, special
programs to assist nuclear power utilities, and research programs
for coal consumption.
"Our tax dollars are pumping up the pockets of polluters," said
Erich Pica of Friends of the Earth. "And comparatively little is
being spent on cleaner, more efficient alternatives for America's
future."
Many of the companies that benefit from the Department of
Energy's fossil fuel and nuclear programs are large corporations
responsible for polluting air and water, and threatening public
health. In 1997 alone, the coal industry mined over 900 million tons
of coal that, when burned, contributed 51 tons of mercury and 2
billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air and water.
"Taxpayers should be outraged," said Cena Swisher of Taxpayers
for Common Sense. "While these industries received billions in
government handouts, prices for gas and heating oil have
soared."
Many of the subsidies to the oil, gas, coal and nuclear
industries are outdated and were instituted decades ago during
wartime or economic depression to increase economic development. The
beneficiaries of these tax breaks and subsidies are some of the
largest, most prosperous corporations in the nation, earning a net
income of $29.8 billion in 1997.
The oil, gas, coal and nuclear companies identified in this
report as benefiting from a subset of federal energy programs
(including the Fossil Fuel Research and Development Program, the
Clean Coal Technology Program the National Ignition Facility and the
Nuclear Energy Research Initiative) made $39 million in Political
Action Committee (PAC) and soft money contributions to congressional
campaigns from 1993 to 1999, and received an estimated $7.3 billion
in subsidies. The companies thus received 186 times more than they
contributed.
The focus of the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 this
year will be the Earth Day 2000 Clean Energy Agenda, which calls on
Congress, in part, to clean up dirty energy and address the problems
of air pollution and global warming. The "Clean Investments" plank
of the Earth Day Clean Energy Agenda calls on Congress to end coal,
oil and nuclear subsidies.
"Congress should not be using our tax dollars to subsidize
pollution," said U.S. PIRG Staff Attorney Lexi Shultz. "By cutting
dirty energy subsidies, Congress can help prevent air pollution,
curb global warming, and protect taxpayers," she added.
For seven years, the Green Scissors coalition of taxpayer and
environmental groups, led by U.S. PIRG, Friends of the Earth and
Taxpayers for Common Sense, has targeted energy programs that both
waste tax dollars and contribute to health and environmental
problems. Since 1994, the Green Scissors Campaign has helped to cut
$17.4 billion from these wasteful and polluting projects. Polluting
energy programs that were not cut have cost taxpayers at least $26
billion in the last seven years.
30-30-30
Friends of the Earth is an environmental advocacy organization
with affiliates in 63 countries. Friends of the Earth focuses on the
"root causes" of environmental degradation and seeks to help
citizens influence the matters that affect their lives and their
environment
Taxpayers for Common Sense is a non-partisan advocate for
American taxpayers. TCS is dedicated to cutting wasteful spending
and subsidies in order to achieve a responsible and efficient
government that lives within its means
U.S. Public Interest Research Group is a non-profit, non-partisan
environmental and consumer advocacy organization. U.S. PIRG, in
association with the State PIRGS in more than 35 states, conducts
research and public education on public health, environmental,
consumer and democracy
issues. |