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Congressman
Paul Ryan
Maintaining the health of our environment and enacting policies that allow commerce to thrive are not mutually exclusive enterprises. In fact, it is essential that we work on these objectives together in order to maintain the high standard of living that we enjoy in the United States. I believe that it is important Congress advances the goals of both the environmental and economic growth and makes policies based on sound science.
Last summer, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Transportation Reauthorization Bill, which resulted in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issuing new regulations to mandate improvements in our environment. Six of the most widespread air pollutants have decreased by almost 163 million tons, despite major increases in population, motor vehicle miles traveled, and economic activity. In addition, on January 17, 2006, the EPA announced updated revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These revisions will cut the allowable concentration of fine particles in the air almost in half, avoiding several thousand premature deaths annually. While we have made progress toward a more conscientious stewardship of the environment, much more still needs to be done. I will continue to work to enact policies that make good environmental stewardship good business.
Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act
The Great Lakes contain nearly 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and supply more than 30 million Americans with their daily drinking water. Because of their great importance to our nation, it is essential that we do all we can to protect the lakes. In 2004, the President created the Great Lakes Collaboration, a 1500 member conservation group comprised of federal, state, and local government officials, scientists, and private stakeholders. The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration produced a strategic action plan for protecting and restoring the Great Lakes that was released in December 2005. This report focused on eight areas: aquatic invasive species; habitat protection; costal health, contaminated sediment; non-point source pollution; toxic pollutants; scientific research and monitoring; and sustainable development.
I believe that the Great Lakes Collaboration performed a great service and I support their recommendations to help protect the Lakes. Along these lines, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 5100, the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2005. Overall, this bill provides $23 billion over 10 years to enact many of the Collaboration’s recommendations, including measures to prevent pollution, control invasive species, and curtail the loss of wildlife habitats. The funding would be distributed to a Great Lakes Advisory Board of governors, mayors, federal representatives and others that would distribute the funding among all of the Great Lakes states. Among other significant provisions include the following:
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$12 million for competitive grants designed to protect and conserve fish and wildlife habitat;
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$20 billion over five years to assist communities with upgrading and improving their wastewater infrastructure;
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$10 million per year for projects designed to lower the mercury content in the Great Lakes basin; and
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$50 million per year to help restore and remediate waterfront areas.
This effort will be very complementary to the EPA’s ongoing efforts to coordinate the efforts of the states through the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. I believe that all levels of government and the private sector must continue to work together on this important initiative, and I will continue to push for this proposal.
Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act
There have been over 28,000 forest fires in the past 5 years, resulting in a loss of more than 570,000 acres of land. In order to address this pressing environmental issue, the House passed the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act, H.R. 4200, on May 16, 2006 with my support. This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to develop research methods for collecting information about the impact of forest fires and other natural disasters. This information will then be collected and analyzed to develop emergency procedures to help restore and aid in the recovery process of forested land.
In addition, the House included funding to improve wildfire protection in the Fiscal Year 2007 (FY2007) Interior Appropriations Act, which passed the House with my support on May 18, 2006. This bill includes more than $2 billion for the ongoing implementation of the National Fire Plan. Although wildfires play an integral role in many forest and rangeland ecosystems, it is essential that these fires be kept in check so as to provide a balance between the needs of the ecosystem and the threat they pose to people and their property.
Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy Conservation.
The Energy Policy Act, which was signed into law by the President on August 6, 2005, includes numerous provisions that encourage a greater use of renewable sources of energy and promote energy conservation. Among the bill’s provisions that I support include the following:
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Tax incentives to promote the use of clean and renewable energies such as biomass, wind, solar, hydroelectricity, and clean coal;
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A
ban on drilling in the Great Lakes;
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New mandatory efficiency requirements for federal buildings;
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Greater efficiency standards and product labeling for battery chargers, commercial refrigerators, freezers, and other household appliances; and
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A program to get hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2020.
Sportsman’s Issues.
During the 109th Congress, I am serving as the Republican House Vice-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. I am happy to serve in this capacity since I heartily believe in supporting policies that help sportsmen. Consisting of more than 300 members of Congress, the Caucus promotes and helps pass legislation that affects sportsmen. This includes issues that are related to conservation efforts, gun rights, and other hunting-related concerns.
Additional Information.
For more information on environmental issues and priorities, please refer to the following websites.
The
White House: www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/environment
The
Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov |
