Environment
Protecting the Environment and Preserving Our Natural Resources
Senator Reed understands that a clean environment is important to our state's health, economy, and quality of life. His conservation efforts have earned him high marks from leading environmental groups and helped clean up and preserve Rhode Island's open spaces, beaches, and Narragansett Bay.
In November of 2007, Save the Bay honored Senator Reed for his long-standing commitment to preserving the environment, noting: "Senator Reed has been a staunch advocate for protecting Rhode Island's coastal environment and preserving Narragansett Bay. Senator Reed has secured millions of dollars to help restore the Bay and its ecosystems, educate the public about marine conservation, protect coastal property, and reduce pollution into the Bay from combined sewer overflows."
A member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Reed has helped secure millions of dollars to remove and dispose of contaminated soil, conduct groundwater monitoring, and support environmental cleanups for Rhode Island through the Brownfields program. Brownfields funding has helped revitalize former industrial and commercial sites throughout the state, transforming them from abandoned and blighted properties into community assets.
At the national level, Reed has been at the forefront of the effort to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. He cosponsored the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, which calls for an 80% reduction -- compared to 1990 levels -- in global warming pollutants by 2050 and offers the most progressive and comprehensive solution to reduce greenhouse gasses across the nation.
Finding solutions to the environmental challenges that face our state, our country, and our planet are difficult, but there is one thing that will help us ensure that future generations have the tools they need to face these challenges and that is environmental education. Senator Reed is the author of the No Child Left Inside Act, a new $100 million a year initiative to reconnect more kids with nature and strengthen environmental education in America's classrooms. In addition to supporting programs in schools, the legislation will also support training for teachers to integrate environmental education into the classroom.
In an effort to help protect the health of Narragansett Bay, Senator Reed has worked with the U.S. Navy and non-profit groups like Clean The Bay to remove hazardous submarine floats from the Bay and marine debris that was littering the shoreline.
Recent News:
Dodd, Reed Praise SEC Decision on Climate Risk Disclosure
Delegation Applauds Selection of Curt Spalding to be New Regional Administrator for U.S. EPA
Rhode Island to Receive Nearly $1 Million to Clean Up Leaky Underground Storage Tanks
Reed Announces Over $3 Million to Assist RI Fishermen
Rhode Island to Receive Nearly $450,000 to Keep Waters Clean
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