Positions and Views of Mark Dayton
on Environment
| Currently Elected Governor & Lt Governor, Minnesota |
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Mark Dayton's positions and views on the issues:
Links are only provided where we have information. The first link is a
report of all issues and questions made available to the candidates.
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List of Issues | Biographical | Reasons & Objectives
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| Environment |
Positions and Views |
| Environment, a General Statement |
Mark strongly believes that our precious natural resources, in Minnesota and throughout our country, are a treasure to be preserved. Like all Minnesotans, Mark values our land of 10,000 lakes as both a place of recreation and a significant part of our identity and heritage.
Mark continually strives to set a standard of environmental protection and preservation that will better protect the health of our nation's families and will stand for generations to come. Repeatedly and successfully, he has fought to protect the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from development and drilling. While mercury pollution from power plants threatens our way of life in Minnesota , contaminating our precious waters and jeopardizing our children's health, Mark continues to fight for tougher limits on the nation's leading mercury polluters. On April 1, 2004, Mark led a bipartisan group of 45 Senators in sending a letter to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael O. Leavitt, requesting that the EPA withdraw its proposed mercury regulations for power plants and instead resubmit new rules that would comply with the Clean Air Act, thereby protecting public health. Mark will continue to push for a national reduction plan that will be comprehensive, sensible, and feasible in protecting all of our nation's families by substantially reducing air pollution.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| Global Warming, Climate Change |
Mark is extremely concerned about global climate change and will continue to press for passage of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act. Mark's older son, Eric, has joined in the campaign to educate the broadest possible audience about global warming, and he recently returned from a six-month polar expedition across the Arctic . During the 155-day trek, he saw evidence of receding ice packs and other significant environmental damage. The Artic Transect 2004 exploration team, lead by world-renowned explorer Will Steger, regularly transmitted their learning adventures from the Arctic back to more than two million students across the globe.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) Oil Drilling |
Since being elected to the United States Senate, Mark has fought successfully to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling. He aggressively fought against drilling proposals in 2001 and 2003, and he is a sponsor of legislation (S. 543) to protect the Refuge permanently by designating it as wilderness.
Mark is unconvinced that the perceived benefits of drilling for petroleum in ANWR outweigh the permanent damages which drilling would do to this pristine region. Several years ago, he took the opportunity to visit ANWR with Minnesotan Will Steger. Mark saw ANWR through the eyes of his friend, a naturalist and an explorer, and experienced this wild and pristine land with the passion that Will brings to his lifework.
In March, 2001, Mark traveled with a Congressional delegation and Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to tour ANWR and existing drilling sites in northern Alaska to view the emerging technologies available. While this trip was extremely valuable and he was impressed with the progress the oil companies had made using new technology, Mark saw nothing to alter his view that ANWR should remain protected.
Mark believes that the solutions to our domestic energy needs lie in an optimal combination of increased domestic production of energy; expanded conservation efforts; and further development and use of domestically produced, alternative and renewable fuels.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| Clean Air Act & Clear Skies Initiative |
Mercury is a dangerous toxin that has become widespread throughout our environment. Coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, chlor-alkali plants, and other sources emit mercury into our air. Much of the mercury in the air returns to earth, contaminating our lakes and streams as methyl mercury, a powerful neurotoxin. Methylmercury accumulates in fish, creating a potent hazard for consumers. In Minnesota, 1.6 million people go fishing every year, contributing about $1.3 billion to Minnesota's economy. Currently, every lake in Minnesota is under a fish consumption advisory, which means that federal and state guidelines are in place providing instruction to consumers about how much fish they can safely eat. Large predatory ocean fish, such as swordfish, shark, and large tuna, can also contain dangerous levels of methylmercury.
In January, 2004, the Bush Administration presented for public review, draft regulations that would require coal-fired power plants to reduce their mercury emissions by only 70 percent by 2018. However, the Clean Air Act, an environmental protection landmark signed into law by President Nixon, requires a far greater reduction. It is shameful that the current Administration continues to allow mercury pollution to jeopardize our health and our way of life in Minnesota. We need a national reduction plan that will be comprehensive, sensible, and feasible in protecting our families by substantially reducing mercury emissions.
The level of mercury pollution is unacceptable, and Mark has led the fight in Congress to reduce mercury pollution and protect public health. Working with his colleagues in the Senate, Mark has pushed Environmental Protection Agency to move forward in imposing mercury controls, and Mark has pushed the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers. Mark has sent numerous requests to the Administration to rewrite its regulations and to properly advise the public about the dangers of mercury-contaminated fish. Mark has [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| Environmental Regulation |
| Clean Air Technologies |
| Carbon Tax |
| Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits |
| Developing World Greenhouse Emissions |
| Developing World and Climate Change |
| Environment Technology for Developing World |
| Tropical Deforestation |
| Cap-and-Trade System to Reduce Carbon Emissions |
| Free Market Incentives |
| Power Plant Emissions |
| Higher Gasoline Tax |
| Kyoto Protocol |
| U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |
| Clean Water Act and Water Quality |
| Clean Drinking Water |
| Toxic Waste |
| Polluter-Pays Superfund Fees |
| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| Interior Department |
| National Parks |
| National Forests and Healthy Forests Initiative |
| National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act |
| Land, Rivers and Lakes |
| Factory Farms |
| Oceans |
| Tropical Rainforests |
| Wetlands |
| Invasive Species |
| Endangered Species |
| Cruelty to Animals |
| Recycling and Trash |