Bipartisan PFAS Agreement Rejected

The day after the announcement of a bipartisan agreement on federal cleanup standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the deal was rejected by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). The bipartisan compromise would have classified two PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as hazardous under the Superfund law which would activate federal cleanup regulations. 

While this agreement was very limited in scope as the PFAS class of chemicals contains over 5,000 toxic substances, the deal was a major step forward towards dealing with two of the most researched and widespread PFAS chemicals. Rep. Pallone told reporters that he wouldn't accept the deal as he felt they were too weak, and that Senate Republicans are not on board with a "meaningful drinking water standard." With the rejection of this deal, the status of the 2020 defense reauthorization bill remains uncertain.

Rep. Pallone has been a strong advocate for PFAS clean-up, having introduced H.R. 2533, the Providing Financial Assistance for Safe Drinking Water Act ("PFAS Drinking Water Act") on May 8, 2019. The bill would provide major investments to upgrade the ability of the nation's water infrastructure in removing PFAS from drinking water.

Please contact Senior Policy Analyst, Chris Askew-Merwin, for more information.

Full House to Consider the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act

This week, the U.S. House or Representatives will consider a package of bills approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources that address coastal conservation and resiliency issues throughout the nation. The Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act ( H.R. 734) combines eight bills that were approved by the Natural Resources Committee earlier this session. Among the bills that are included in the package is the bipartisan Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act, which was introduced by Representatives Mike Quigley (IL) and Fred Upton (MI), and provides a formal authorization for the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center so that it can continue to conduct monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in support of the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin. 

The bill authorizes $17.5 million per year for FY 2020 through FY 2029. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate co-authored by Senators Gary Peters (MI), Rob Portman (OH), Debbie Stabenow (MI), and Tammy Duckworth (IL).

Additional legislation that is contained in the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act includes:

For more information, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing  on "Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for  Deep Decarbonization"

The House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing on December 5th to discuss the current climate crisis that is happening not just in the United States but globally. The hearing consisted of four panelists that presented expert opinions on how to approach climate change policy by considering economy-wide approaches. The measures that were discussed that included economy-wide policies were carbon pricing, complementary policies, and various forms of state-level action. 

Dan Etsy, Director and Professor at the Center for Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University, explained the need for a multi-dimensional climate change policy framework that emphasizes incentives, innovation, information, and investment. He stated that he is confident that his proposal can allow the United States to lead the world to a more sustainable future but cannot be done on a one-party basis. 

For Dan Etsy's full testimony, click here . 

Noah Kaufman, Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, asserted that he believes that a carbon price should be part of a comprehensive climate policy. Mr. Kaufman's reasoning to implement carbon pricing is to protect those who cannot afford price increases, keep U.S. industries on a level playing field with foreign competition, improve economic opportunity in coal-dependent communities, and surround the carbon price with policies that enable even faster and cheaper emission reductions. 

For Noah Kaufman's full testimony, click here . 

David Gattie, Associate Professor for College of Engineering at the University of Georgia, stressed the importance of U.S. climate policy being global and strategic. If the United States were to transition away from current energy interdependencies, it can develop into vulnerabilities open to exploration by energy-rich and technology-advanced countries that do not share the same values as Americans. He believes U.S. policy should focus on developing energy and technology relationships with developing regions.

For David Gattie's full testimony, click here .  

Tim Profeta, Director of Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, the final witness at the hearing,  stressed the need for a federal and state partnership. Mr. Profeta believes a comprehensive partnership could achieve fast and significant climate action that can create a new pathway to overcome a political stalemate with cooperative solutions.

For Tim Profeta's full testimony, click here . 

All four witnesses provided substantial research and testimony to inform the subcommittee on how to efficiently and successfully create legislation to address the pressing issue of climate change.

For more information, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

This Week in Washington

In the Senate: Tuesday, Dec 10, 2019 10:00 AM - SD-366 Energy and Natural Resources Hearings to examine the upcoming implementation of the International Maritime Organization's new global sulfur standard for marine fuels, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2020. Thursday, Dec 12, 2019 10:00 AM - SD-366 Energy and Natural Resources Business meeting to address S.2666, to promote the development of renewable energy on public land; among others. In the House: Monday, Dec 9, 2019 5:00 PM | H-313 CAPITOL Committee on Rules Business Meeting: H.R. 729Tribal Coastal Resiliency Act Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act Tuesday, Dec 10, 2019 10:00 AM | 2318 Rayburn HOB Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Energy  Hearing: Research and Innovation to Address the Critical Materials Challenge Wednesday, Dec 11, 2019 2:00 PM | 210 Canon HOB Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Business Meeting: Creating a Climate Resilient America: Smart Finance for Strong Communities

NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation