Senate Passage of Bill to Join International Treaty to Cut Toxic Ship Pollution Praised...

Senate Passage of Bill to Join International Treaty to Cut Toxic Ship
Pollution Praised by Leading Environmental Group

Bill Passage Paves Way to Cut Pollution Linked to 60,000 Global Deaths
Annually

WASHINGTON, June 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Senate last night
passed, by unanimous consent, legislation that will allow the U.S. to join an
international treaty that could dramatically cut ocean ship pollution that
causes tens of thousands of global deaths annually. "The Marine Pollution
Prevention Act of 2008" (H.R. 802), was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S.
House of Representatives last year.

"This action could be a sea change that ultimately helps steer us to cleaner,
healthier air for the millions of Americans harmed by toxic air pollution from
U.S. and foreign-flagged ships," said Janea Scott, a senior attorney for
Environmental Defense Fund based in Los Angeles. "This action will help our
country secure protective international standards for large ocean-going ships.
We urge our government to immediately complete the critical process of
ratifying the MARPOL treaty."

Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships, commonly known as "MARPOL," is an international treaty that governs air
pollution from large ocean-going ships.

Large ocean-going ships are a major source of soot, sulfur dioxide and
smog-forming pollution that are associated with premature deaths, hospital
visits, and asthma attacks that exact a heavy toll on human health for
millions of Americans. About ninety percent of the ships that dock at U.S.
ports are foreign-flagged international vessels.

Shipping-related soot emissions contribute to approximately 60,000 global
deaths annually, with impacts concentrated in coastal regions on major trade
routes.

The U.S. government has proposed protective measures for international
adoption as part of the MARPOL treaty that would achieve vital progress in
reducing the high emissions from these ships. This clean air blueprint will be
considered at a key meeting of the International Maritime Organization in
October.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization,
represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund
has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships
to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.
For more information, visit www.edf.org.

CONTACT: Janea Scott, +1-213-223-2186, jscott@edf.org, or Jennifer Andreassen,
+1-202-572-3387, jandreassen@edf.org, both of Environmental Defense Fund

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund

Janea Scott, +1-213-223-2186, jscott@edf.org, or Jennifer Andreassen,
+1-202-572-3387, jandreassen@edf.org, both of Environmental Defense Fund