Energy/Environment
The issue of Energy/Environment is important to our district and to my work in Congress.
Environmental protections and the pursuit of a sustainable energy future have proven to be areas of stark differences and intense debate in the 112th Congress. More than a century of industrial abuses and fossil fuel consumption have taken their toll on our air, our water, and the environmental resources we cherish. However, many of the strides we’ve made on clean air and water, and protecting our environment and moving away from fossil fuel dependency are in jeopardy. Congressman Lynch continues to believe that the federal government must take an active role in these areas to provide a clean, safe and sustainable future.
Environmental Protections
In the 112th Congress, Congressman Lynch has consistently taken action in support of clean air, clean water and the environment. He has again cosponsored bills such as the Clean Water Protection Act, which will prevent the dumping of waste from mountain top removal coal mines into rivers and streams and the Udall-Eisenhower Wilderness Protection Act, which designates specified lands within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
The current Majority in the House of Representatives continues to put forth legislation that prevents the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from carrying out its mission, despite the long term impacts on the environment and Americans’ health. Throughout this legislative session Congressman Lynch has voted against bills that will prohibit the EPA from adequately regulating green house gas emissions, emissions from incinerators, industrial boilers and cement production facilities, and the disposal of highly toxic coal ash from power plants. With much at stake Congressman Lynch will remain a strong supporter of efforts to protect our air, water and environment.
Sustainable Energy Future
Concern over high gasoline prices continues to jeopardize a sustained economic recovery. Congressman Lynch believes that part of the solution to preventing this problem from recurring hinges on having a long term plan for reducing dependence on foreign oil, pursuing alternatives to fossil fuels and improving efficiency across the entire energy spectrum.
In May 2011 the House of Representatives considered three bills related to offshore drilling. Congressman Lynch opposed these bills, viewing them as a giveaway to the big oil companies, which saw nearly $36 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2011, and already receive approximately $4 billion in federal subsidies annually. The bills moved to expedite the permit approval process and undermine the environmental review process, while providing no realistic impact on gas prices. Domestic production of crude oil is at its highest level since 2003, yet the price of gas continues to rise. While we need to increase supply, simply drilling our way out of this problem is not the answer.
Congressman Lynch is a cosponsor of the Taxpayer & Gas Price Relief Act that takes steps to try and bring down gasoline prices, while ending taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil companies in an attempt to reduce the deficit. The bill expands the authority of the President to release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat market manipulation and makes it illegal to sell gasoline at excessive prices and helps prevent big oil companies and the industry from taking advantage of consumers by engaging in price gouging.
Congressman Lynch has also supported legislation that imposes escalating fees on companies holding inactive leases. The United States Department of the Interior estimates that the leases oil companies hold but are not using could yield 11.6 billion barrels of oil, nearly as much as may be realized drilling offshore up and down the East and West coasts. He has also voted consistently to end the subsidies paid to big oil. Using these funds to invest in clean energy technology could help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Investment in clean energy technology has provided real results for the town of Dedham and the City of Brockton, as both municipalities have used federal funds to help build photovoltaic arrays to provide clean renewable energy and offset local energy costs.
Saving energy and protecting the environment for future generations requires a comprehensive approach. Congressman Lynch supports efforts such at the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act of 2011. The bill will accelerate the production and use of more natural gas-fueled vehicles, thereby reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and simultaneously reducing greenhouse gases and urban pollution. Congressman Lynch also supports efforts to increase and improve high speed and inter-city passenger rail as a means of removing vehicles from the country’s congested roadways thereby eliminating tons of polluting auto emissions, and also reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil.