INSTRUCTIONS: Please create two separate letters, one addressed to Senator Lugar and the other
addressed to Senator Bayh. Insert the text on your company letterhead and be sure to personalize with
the name of your company, number of employees, and other information about the castings you
produce. Fax the letter to the respective Senate offices (numbers listed below), and fax a copy to the
AFS Washington Office – 202-898-0188. Please contact Alicia Oman (aoman@afsinc.org or 202/8424864) with questions.
[INSERT ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD]
The Honorable Richard Lugar
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: 202-228-0360
OR
The Honorable Evan Bayh
131 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: 202-228-1377
May XX, 2008
Dear Senator [Lugar or Bayh],
As an Indiana metalcaster, I am writing on behalf of [Insert name of company] and our [insert number]
employees to urge you to oppose America’s Climate Security Act (S. 2191) and the Boxer substitute
amendment to S.2191. This bill will have a devastating impact on our company, our workers, the
metalcasting industry, and our nation’s economy while doing little to reduce global GHG emissions.
Energy is the lifeblood of our work. We use it to melt and shape scrap metal to produce essential
components for every aspect of modern living. Our industry will be directly and significantly impacted
by the cap-and-trade program outlined in S. 2191. All foundries, even those that are not considered
“covered facilities” by the legislation, will see their energy costs increase exponentially. U.S.
metalcasters operate under extremely tight profit margins (industry average of 5.2%), and higher energy
costs could ultimately mean the difference between staying in business for another year and having to
shut the plant doors.
According to a recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American
Council for Capital Formation (ACCF), by 2030, Indiana could lose as many as 79,000 jobs. Additionally,
the bill might lead to a loss of over $6,798 in household income and could lead to over $12.97 billion in
lost gross state product between 2009 and 2030.
Moreover, the NAM/ACCF study estimates that the cap-and-trade proposal in S. 2191 will result in:
o Employment losses nationally of up to 4 million jobs;
o Electricity price increases of up to 129 percent;
o Natural gas price increases of up to 146 percent;
o Gasoline price increases of up to 145 percent; and,
o
A loss of household income of up to $6,752 per year.
With our nation facing an uncertain economic future, I urge you to carefully consider the results of this
study and the undue fiscal burden S. 2191 would place on the American public.
We agree with the American Foundry Society in the belief that the reduction of GHG emissions requires
a GLOBAL solution. Currently, S. 2191 contains only a weak provision to encourage developing countries
like China and India to reduce their GHG emissions. I am concerned that enactment of a cap-and-trade
program in the United States will ultimately lead to the off-shoring of manufacturing to countries that
do not have GHG emissions limits and thus will have significantly cheaper energy costs. As a result, the
bill could actually increase worldwide GHG emissions by concentrating energy-intensive industries in
countries where energy efficient technologies and processes are not utilized or required.
I strongly believe S.2191 does more economic harm than environmental good and urge you to oppose
the measure. I look forward to hearing from you on this important matter.
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Company
Phone
Email