Environment

Environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Food Quality Protection Act improve America’s environment and protect public health. These landmark laws have helped provide Americans cleaner air, cleaner water, and safer food. While these environmental laws have been successful, a number of recent investigations for members of Congress by the Special Investigations Division have highlighted ongoing environmental problems.

Latest News

Fifteen Chairmen Urge the President to Stop Efforts to Weaken the G-8 Declaration Regarding Global Climate Change

Fifteen House Committee Chairmen sent a letter to the President urging him not to weaken a proposed G-8 declaration regarding global climate change. According to press reports, Administration officials are seeking to eliminate the G-8 pledges to limit the increase in global temperatures and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the officials may be attempting to remove phrases in the declaration that highlight the urgent need to address the threat of global warming.

Carbon-Neutral Government Act of 2007

The Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement held a hearing on The Carbon-Neutral Government Act of 2007.

Chairman Waxman Reiterates his Request to FEMA for Documents Relating to Toxic Formaldehyde Levels in Hurricane Victims’ Trailers

Chairman Waxman sent a letter to Administrator Paulison reiterating his two previous requests for documents relating to high levels of formaldehyde in trailers provided to Gulf Coast hurricane victims. Recent reports have indicated that some occupants continue to live in FEMA-issued trailers with formaldehyde levels above the acceptable limit for humans.

Committee Requests that NIH Postpone Privatization of Environmental Health Perspectives

Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Kucinich have requested that Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), assure the Committee that NIH will postpone any plan to privatize Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), a leading journal on environmental health, until the Committee concludes its inquiry into the matter. The first plan to privatize EHP was scrapped by NIH in January 2007 due to apparent conflicts of interest.

Chairman Waxman Expands Investigation into EPA Reversal

Upon review of internal EPA documents, Chairman Waxman expands the Committee’s investigation into possible political interference with an EPA permitting decision of a liquefied natural gas facility on the California coast. EPA documents indicate that the reversal of EPA’s position is likely to result in degraded air quality in California, inconsistent application of air quality regulations, and potential enforcement difficulties of clean air plans."

Committee Examines Political Interference with Climate Science

This hearing examined evidence and allegations of political interference with the work of government climate change scientists under the current Administration.

Chairman Waxman Raises Concerns About EPA’s Handling of LNG Project on California Coast

In a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chairman Waxman discloses that documents the Committee has received raise new questions about how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is handling the air permit application for the BHP Billiton liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating storage and re-gasification project off the coast of Ventura County, California.

CEQ Commits to Producing Requested Documents

In a letter to CEQ Chairman James Connaughton, Chairman Waxman reviews an agreement reached with CEQ related to the production of documents requested by the Oversight Committee.

Chairman Waxman Requests National Academy of Sciences Report

As Congress considers policies to address two of the most pressing issues facing the nation -- human-caused global warming and U.S. dependence on oil – Chairman Waxman requests that the National Academy of Sciences convene an expert panel to examine the key environmental and economic issues related to biofuels and liquid fuels derived from coal.

Committee Holds Hearing on Political Influence on Government Climate Change Scientists

On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, the Committee held an oversight hearing on allegations of political interference with government climate change science. At the hearing, the Committee heard about numerous instances of political interference with the work of climate scientists under the Bush Administration.

Statement of Rep. Henry A. Waxman on the State of the Union Address

Chairman Waxman's response to the State of the Union address.

Request to Council on Environmental Quality for Documents Related to Climate Change Activities

Chairman Waxman reiterates a request to CEQ Chairman James Connaughton for documents related to CEQ's actions related to editing scientific reports on global warming.

Rep. Waxman Requests EPA Analysis

For two years, EPA repeatedly stated that an energy facility off of the California coast needed to meet Ventura County’s clean air rules. Chairman Waxman requests the EPA analysis that formed the basis for the reversal of that position in June 2005.

Waxman Objects to EPA Announcement on Lead Air Quality Standards

Rep. Waxman strongly urges that the EPA renounce a dangerous proposal that would eliminate the national ambient air quality standards for lead air pollution. These standards provide a baseline of public health protection throughout the country against highly toxic lead air pollution.

Democrats Push to Stop EPA Library Closures

In an ongoing effort to protect and preserve the vast resources of the Environmental Protection Agency, Reps. Gordon, Dingell, Waxman, and Oberstar call on the agency to stop efforts to close libraries across the country pending a review by Congress.

100+ Members of Congress Urge EPA to Allow States to Tackle Global Warming

Rep. Waxman and more than 100 colleagues call upon EPA to allow states to move forward with stronger state auto emissions standards to fight global warming pollution.

Rep. Waxman's Remarks on Climate Change

At a hearing today, Rep. Waxman spoke about the Bush Administration's poor record on climate change and the need for a new direction in overcoming the challenges presented by global warming.

Rep. Waxman Requests GAO Study on EPA Budget Cuts

Reps. Waxman, Gordon, and Dingell request that the GAO examine the Administration's plan to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's library system by over 30 percent. The budget cut will force EPA to substantially restructure library services by closing some libraries and reducing hours and services at others.

Rep. Waxman Releases Internal Commerce Department E-Mails on Climate Change

Rep. Waxman requests Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez explain emails that appear to show that his office denied a media request to interview a NOAA scientist who had concluded that global warming may lead to more dangerous hurricanes.

GAO finds EPA Failing to Protect Public Health from Toxic Air Pollution

In a new report, GAO finds that sixteen years after Congress passed the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, EPA has failed to carry out many of the Act’s requirements to protect Americans from cancer-causing toxic air pollution.

EPA Rulemaking Delay May Harm Public Health

Rep. Waxman, along with Sens. Boxer and Obama, protests an EPA plan to further delay the final Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule, which is already years overdue. Another year of delay will allow more children to be exposed to hazardous lead contamination in their homes and undermine the public health.

Committee Requests Bush Administration Climate Change Documents

In a letter to the President's Council on Environmental Quality, Ranking Member Waxman and Chairman Davis request documents related to CEQ’s review and editing of government reports on global warming.

Safe Climate Act Will Significantly Reduce Global Warming

Today Rep. Henry A. Waxman, together with twelve of his House colleagues, introduced the “Safe Climate Act of 2006.” The legislation is based on what scientists have concluded the United States must do to avoid dangerous, irreversible warming of the planet and would significantly reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases.

Rep. Waxman and Sen. Kerry Again Question Administration's Emissions Claims

In a follow-up to the Administration's response to their Jan. 26, 2006, letter that questioned Dr. Paula Dobriansky's statements that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have fallen in recent years, Rep. Waxman and Sen. Kerry remind Dr. Dobriansky that under this Administration, U.S. emissions have hit their highest level ever.

Rep. Waxman and Sen. Kerry Question Administration's Emissions Claims

In a letter, Rep. Waxman and Sen. Kerry ask Dr. Paula Dobriansky to explain why, as head of the U.S. delegation to the UN Conference on Climate Change, she stated that U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases had fallen, when in fact they have risen by 3.5% during the Bush Administration.

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