McHenry ranks near bottom in National Environmental Scorecard

North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry received a low score for his environmental votes by the League of Conservation Voters. The Republican represents the 10th District, which was redrawn last year to encompass most of the city of Asheville.

McHenry earned a score of 6 percent, giving him the second-worst score in the state delegation. Democrat Rep. Heath Shuler, who represents the 11th District — which includes the western tip of Asheville — received a score of 71 percent. The contrast between North Carolina's senators was even more stark: Republican Richard Burr received a score of 9 percent and Democrat Kay Hagan was one of the only senators in the country to earn a perfect score of 100 percent.

The scores are calculated by the League of Conservation Voters using an analysis of representatives' votes on a variety of pertinent issues, ranging from public health protections and clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. Overall, the organization reported that the 2011 analysis "reflects the most anti-environmental session of the U.S. House of Representatives in history, featuring unparalleled assaults on our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health safeguards," according to a press release.

“We applaud those members of the North Carolina delegation who opposed the countless attacks on vital public health and environmental protections in 2011, such as Reps. Watt and Miller, and Sen. Hagan,” said the North Carolina League Conservation Voter’s director of governmental affairs, Dan Crawford. “However, it's deeply disappointing that Congressmen Foxx, McHenry, and Burr chose to put corporate polluters and other special interests ahead of the health and well-being of North Carolinians."

Last month, the N.C. League released its scorecard of Statehouse representatives, giving Buncombe Democrat Reps.Patsy Keever and Susan Fisher high marks, while giving Republican Rep. Tim Moffitt a low score.

Keever is currently running for Congress in the 10th District, vying with other Democrats in the primary who are hoping to take on McHenry in the fall.

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