Environment and Climate Change

Representative Scott Peters (CA-52) Advocating for the Environment in Congress

Since coming to Congress, Scott Peters has been a strong advocate for fighting the causes of climate change, preparing for the effects of climate change, defending the nation’s environmental laws, and protecting the great outdoors for future generations

I. CLIMATE CHANGE

Scott has put forth plans to reduce the use of harmful pollutants and to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change while showcasing San Diego’s efforts.

• Scott is the chair of the Climate Task Force of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He is also a member of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change and the Safe Climate Caucus. He has spoken on the House floor numerous times calling on Congress to act now on climate.
• He introduced H.R. 1943, the Super Pollutant Emissions Reduction (SUPER) Act that would create a federal task force to coordinate a response to short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The City of San Diego has endorsed the bill.
• Scott has hosted Congressional briefings on the climate impacts of reducing super pollutants such as methane from landfills. The briefings have featured one of the district’s own, Dr. V. Ramanathan, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD.
• He advocated for the inclusion of San Diego as a mentoring city of the United Nations Environment Program’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
• Scott has consistently fought for full funding for the nation’s climate research programs.
• Scott has been a vocal supporter of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Carbon Rule’ that allows states to innovate their way toward individually tailored reduction goals.

II. PREPARING FOR THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The climate is already changing, and we need to be prepared for it.

• Scott introduced H.R. 2322, the STRONG Act, a bipartisan bill to gives state and local actors the tools they need to prepare, plan for, and more quickly recover from extreme weather events.
• Scott introduced H.R. 5635, the DISASTER Act, to improve transparency on how much federal money is being spent on disaster response, and where we are spending it.
• Scott led the petition demanding a vote on H.R. 3992, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, to ensure that the federal government budgets for both wildfire prevention and response.
• He is a cosponsor of H.R. 4239, a drought assistance bill that would modernize reservoir operations, invest in water recycling, and other water management projects.
• He is also a cosponsor of the H.R. 764, the Coastal State Climate Change Planning Act to help coastal states plan for the impacts of climate change.
• He supported amendments to a water infrastructure bill so that resiliency is considered by the Army Corps of Engineers when they work in floodplains.

III. DEFENDING THE NATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Our nation’s hallmark environmental laws must be defended and improved upon.

• Scott delivered the final amendment to H.R. 2279, fighting against efforts to gut the Superfund law. Scott’s amendment ensured that the “polluter pays” principle would still be intact and that vulnerable communities are still protected from toxic pollution spills.
• He is a cosponsor of H.R. 1154, the BREATHE Act, to close the oil and gas industries’ loophole in the Clean Air Act with regards to air pollution.
• He has voted to protect the EPA’s ability to regulate power plants’ carbon pollution through the Clean Air Act, and he has voted many times to prevent gutting of the National Environmental Policy Act.
• Scott also voted against the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, which would let States decide how to dispose of coal ash without proper EPA oversight.
• The League of Conservation Voters and the Defenders of Wildlife gave Scott a 100% rating in 2013 for his legislative record.

IV: PROTECTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

We must safeguard our fragile ecosystems and places of national significance for future generations.

• Each year, Scott supports the funding of Federal programs that protect and preserve the environment such as our National Park System, estuary restoration programs, Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.
• He cosponsored H.R. 474, the Complete America’s Great Trails Act, which provides tax incentives to private owners to dedicate public access and conservation easements to complete National Scenic Trails. This would encourage voluntary easements to close gaps in great trails and protect them from development.
• Scott supports H.R. 1677, the Yosemite National Park Boundary Expansion Act.
• Scott has voted to fund our national parks and museums so that constituents and visitors can continue to appreciate America’s heritage.

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