For forty years, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has filled a unique niche in the environmental community – working to pass laws that will protect the environment and to elect environmental candidates to support such policies. LCV holds politicians accountable for their actions, publishing the National Environmental Scorecard to highlight and record the votes taken by Members of Congress. Employing cutting edge political tactics and technologies, LCV works to support those who have supported clean air, water and energy and to defeat those who put polluters first. In September 2009, LCV began to help build a new state-based partner organization, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania (CVPA). Using proven methods from successful conservation voter leagues in 33 other states, CVPA will bring the same accountability to PA, strengthening the political power of the environmental community and creating a cleaner, safer Keystone State. In the 2010 election cycle, CVPA helped 11 of its 19 endorsed candidates win. Its first priority was electing Kevin Boyle in House District 172. With help from CVPA, Boyle took on and defeated former Speaker John Perzel, a 30 year incumbent and one of LCV's State Dirty Dozen list of the 12 worst environmental legislators in the nation.