2001 LCV Environmental Rating = 100%

2000 LCV Environmental Rating = 79%

Lifetime LCV Environmental Rating = 92%

In 2001, U.S. Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts received his ninth LCV score of 100% since first being elected to the House in 1972.  To mark the occasion, Markey noted that "preserving a healthy environment is a constant struggle. It requires that we maintain strong water and air quality standards and increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy so that national treasures like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, can be left untouched."  

An environmental champion is someone who does more than cast the right votes when the spotlight is on them; it includes being a strong leader and clear voice for protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources.  Markey is one of those rare leaders whose actions back up their words.  He has been a champion in the fight to:

• Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling,
  
  
• Hold the nuclear power industry accountable for their environmental actions,
  
  
• and prevent the construction of a nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mountain.

Arctic Refuge
As a longtime member of the Energy & Commerce Committee and the Resources Committee, Markey has protected our public lands and promoted the use of renewable energy sources.  In February of 2001 he sponsored the Morris K. Udall Arctic Wilderness Act of 2001 that would permanently protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a wilderness area.  He also sponsored an amendment with Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT) to strike a provision to allow drilling in the Arctic Refuge from the House energy bill.  

Markey said at the time, "We do not dam Yosemite Valley for hydropower.  We do not strip-mine Yellowstone for coal. We do not string wind turbines along the edge of the Grand Canyon.  And we should not drill for oil in the Arctic Refuge.  We should preserve it, instead, as the magnificent wilderness it has always been, and must always be."

Instead of allowing oil and gas companies to drill and mine our public lands for energy supplies, Markey has pushed for increased use of renewable energy sources and for raising vehicle fuel efficiency standards.  

During consideration of the House energy bill, Markey co-sponsored an amendment with Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) to increase fuel efficiency standards by closing a loophole that allows light trucks to skirt the standards.  His plan would have combined light trucks and cars into one fleet and required them to meet a 27.5 miles per gallon average by 2007.  This step would have:

• reduced oil consumption,
  
  
• slashed carbon dioxide emissions,
  
  
• and reduced air pollution.  

Markey explained, "There are no more excuses, no more studies, and no more delay tactics - the time to save consumers money, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and reduce levels of harmful pollutants is now."

Nuclear Power
The Price Anderson Act was passed 45 years ago by Congress to provide temporary assistance to the newly emerging nuclear power industry that was having trouble finding willing insurers.  The act allows the nuclear industry to sell electricity at less than its true cost to generate and has given the industry a taxpayer-funded subsidy of between $355 million and $3 billion a year.  

Markey has called on members of Congress to end this subsidy and force the nuclear power industry to compete with other energy-generation technologies.  He stated that, "We should bring an immediate halt to the shameful practice of totally indemnifying Department of Energy contractors from any liability in the event their actions result in a nuclear accident."

Throughout his career in the House, Markey has been a watchdog of the nuclear power industry.  

• In June 2000, Markey cosponsored an amendment to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill to transfer funds from the Nuclear Energy Reserve Initiative program to renewable energy research programs. 
  
  
• Recently he has spoken out on the need for heightened security at nuclear power plants against terrorist attacks. 
  
  
• In December 2001, he introduced a bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to strengthen security at sensitive nuclear facilities. 
  
  
• He has been critical of the lack of preventive measures adopted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prevent the theft of nuclear material or import of the material into the country. 

Yucca Mountain
Radioactive waste is one of the most dangerous substances on earth and remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years.  This year the Energy Department formally designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a permanent storage site for nuclear waste even though studies have uncovered serious technical problems with the site that include potential contamination of groundwater from leaking radioactive waste.  

In 2000, Senator Frank Murkowski introduced the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments of 2000 to allow the transportation of waste from nuclear power plants to Yucca Mountain before construction of the permanent site was completed.  Markey spoke out against this bill, saying it would "authorize 100,000 truckloads of nuclear waste to start heading toward Nevada, kind of mobile Chernobyls out on the street heading towards Nevada."  

He voted against the Murkowski bill and was one of 117 U.S. Representatives in 2002 to vote against final approval of Yucca Mountain as the permanent repository for radioactive nuclear waste.

The District
Boston's northern and western suburbs make up most of Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District.  It forms an arc around the city of Boston and includes beach towns like Winthrop and Revere, working class Woburn and Medford, high-income Lincoln and Weston, and middle-income Natick and Framingham. Tufts and Brandeis University, along with Logan Airport, are also found in this district.  2002’s post-Census redistricting resulted in very few changes to the 7th Congressional District.

Markey ran unopposed in 2000, but he will face a tough Democratic challenger this year in the September 17 primary.  Former Governor Paul Cellucci (R) came close to winning this district in the 1998 gubernatorial elections, with his Democratic opponent winning by only 300 votes.