Working for a Better Environment

As your representative, I am working to make sure that California’s federal tax dollars are being returned to our area to improve air and water quality for the residents of the 38th district.

• Working To Improve California's Air Quality - Because of the high volume of automobiles on freeways, I am concerned about the surrounding air quality and its effects on residents of the 38th District. That is why in my first term I secured $250,000 for the Gateway Cities Council of Government’s (GCOG) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program. The funding will be used to study how to reduce congestion and emissions problems on key highways in Southeast Los Angeles County, of which a large portion is aimed at the I-710. I also secured an additional $2 million to expand and improve our area’s use of clean-air buses.
• Fighting for Clean and Recycled Water - I secured $600,000 to fund a study of the Los Angeles Basin Watershed. The study is designed to explore ways to capture rainwater runoff in Los Angeles and Orange County, to increase the supply of clean drinking water, reduce ocean pollution, and improve neighborhoods, mini-parks, and habitat areas. In addition, in an effort to help protect our neighborhoods and water quality, I directed $125,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to perform a hydrology/ hydraulics study to the La Mirada flood control system.
• Ensuring the Safety of California's Public Lands and Rivers - I want to end irresponsible logging in California’s most pristine environments. That’s why I am a sponsor of the “National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act” (H.R. 3563), which provides additional protections to specified lands in our National Forests.
• Protecting Californians from Toxic Chemicals - When the administration proposed weakening the reporting requirements for the Toxics Release Inventory, I joined with Congressional colleagues to request that the Environmental Protection Agency maintain the current requirements. Because we are so close to a major international port, communities like ours bear a greater risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. These requirements help to keep our neighborhoods safe and healthy places to live.
• Improve local air quality - I secured funding for the GCOG Diesel Emissions Program, when Congress passed its reauthorization of the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users,” (TEA-LU) on July 29, 2005. This program is designed to phase-out pre-1984 diesel engines, replacing them with more fuel-efficient and cleaner burning engines.