June 16 2012

- U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said he would vote to uphold a new federal clean air rule "because healthier air means better jobs for Tennesseans—every one of Tennessee's major metropolitan areas is struggling to meet standards that govern whether industries can acquire the air quality permits to locate here."

In remarks delivered on the floor of the senate, Alexander said, "This rule requires utilities in other states to install the same pollution controls that TVA already is installing on its coal-fired power plants. TVA alone can't clean up our air. Tennessee is bordered by more states than any other state. We are surrounded by our neighbors' smokestacks. If we want more Nissan and Volkswagen plants, we will have to stop dirty air from blowing into Tennessee."