Ads in the Portland Press Herald, Manchester Union Leader, Concord Monitor, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Indianapolis Star and Philadelphia Inquirer (combined circulation: 1.3 million) running today and tomorrow call the energy bill a "payoff for polluters" and urge senators to oppose the final conference report. They target a bipartisan group of senators whose support of a filibuster could stop passage of the bill.

"America's biggest polluters are drilling for dollars with this energy bill, and it's up to a handful of senators to stop Congress from delivering," said Friends of the Earth Legislative Director Sara Zdeb. "America needs a clean energy future, but this bill is no more than a grab bag for polluting energy interests."

The ads highlight some of the conference report's most egregious provisions, including ones that would shield MTBE producers from product liability lawsuits, placing an estimated $29 billion tab for cleaning up contaminated water on taxpayers. It also criticizes provisions that would provide billions in new tax breaks and subsidies to polluting industries, weaken important clean air protections and exempt drilling activities from requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The ads urge readers to contact their senators and urge opposition to the energy bill.

Visit http://www.foe.org/energy to see the ads.

Friends of the Earth is the world's largest environmental network with member groups in 70 countries. The mission of Friends of the Earth is to defend the environment and champion a healthy and just world. For more information, visit http://www.foe.org