Lautenberg: Ambient air like secondhand smoke

Not only is Sen. Frank Lautenberg exploiting another asthmatic relative in opposing the TRAIN Act to rein in the EPA, but he likens ambient air to secondhand smoke.

As reported by Environment and Energy Daily this morning,

“Opponents of common-sense public regulation are at it again,” agreed Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

As he frequently has in the past when discussing air quality issues, Lautenberg talked about his grandson who has asthma. He said that allowing power plants to pollute the air children breathe is the equivalent of allowing them to be exposed to second-hand smoke. He questioned why anyone would oppose tougher standards.

“They don’t give a damn about those children, is that what we’re hearing?” he asked.

The doddering Lautenberg usually invokes his asthmatic sister’s death 28 years ago in opposing efforts to control the EPA. Now he’s sunk to grandchild exploitation.

And of course, ambient air is not like secondhand smoke; if it was, then secondhand smoke would never have been noticeable and, therefore, controversial — not that secondhand smoke was every a public health problem, in the first place.

We oppose more EPA air regulation, Frank-you-old-fool, because today’s air threatens no one. It’s time to retire Frank. Go spend some quality time with your grandkids instead of using them as an excuse for the inexcusable.

For more on the reality of air quality and EPA’s overreach, check out:

• EPA’s Clean Air Act: Pretending air pollution is worse than it is
• Show us the bodies, EPA
• American Lung Association says ‘more will die’ but refuse to provide proof
• EPA’s air-quality overkill
• Air pollution scare debunked
• PM_2.5 not linked with cardiac emergencies
• Valberg challenges EPA air quality science in House hearing
• EPA shows us a body?
• Does air pollution cause cardio-respiratory problems in infants?
• EPA’s desperate new smog scare