Energy and Environment
North Florida is home to beautiful natural treasurers, from the beaches of Panama City to Wakulla Springs. In Congress, I’m working to protect our natural heritage for generations to come. We shouldn’t have to worry about taking our children fishing in polluted waters or if the air they breathe is clean.
We also know how critical our connection to the environment is for the economy in North Florida. Agriculture, forestry and fishing all depend on striking a balance between responsibly using our natural resources and preserving them.
I also believe the best way to protect our environment in the long term is for our country to become energy independent. I believe the only way to achieve that goal is by responsibly using traditional sources of energy while also exploring new, renewable sources, such as wind, hydro, solar and geothermal.
More on Energy and Environment
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Six weeks after first requesting public records pertaining to the state’s secret sinkhole, Representative Gwen Graham is demanding to know why Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are stalling the release of emails related to the controversy.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Following requests from Representative Gwen Graham, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administration (FEMA) is expanding individual assistance for those affected by Hurricane Hermine to Taylor and Wakulla counties. Previously, Leon was the only county in the Second Congressional District eligible for individual assistance.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In reaction to Governor Rick Scott’s office claiming they weren’t made aware of a sinkhole dumping toxic water into Florida’s aquifer for weeks, Representative Gwen Graham is expanding a public records request to include all electronic communication concerning the sinkhole to and from the governor’s office.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Gwen Graham released the following statement in reaction to Governor Rick Scott’s announcement to change public notification laws in the wake of pollution incidents:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a public records request sent today, Representative Gwen Graham is requesting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection turn over all electronic communication relating to a 300-foot-deep toxic sinkhole in Central Florida. Representative Graham’s public records inquiry follows repeated requests for more information on when DEP informed the public of the sinkhole and calls for the department to conduct an investigation into their delayed response.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jonathan Steverson, Representative Gwen Graham is criticizing the agency for failing to alert surrounding communities of a toxic sinkhole, and calling on the DEP to use all means available to protect Florida families and the environment from a potential health crisis.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act, legislation co-sponsored by Representative Gwen Graham that would allow citrus growers to deduct the cost of replacing lost or damaged citrus plants from their taxes through the year 2025.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Florida’s Environmental Regulation Commission voted to allow higher limits for more than two dozen cancer causing chemicals in Florida’s drinking water. The vote followed hours of public testimony from Floridians across the state, who overwhelmingly asked the commission to vote against the new standards.
Representative Graham released the following statement in reaction to the vote:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Gwen Graham is firing back at Governor Rick Scott, demanding his administration begin taking immediate action to address the ongoing algae crisis in South Florida.
Rep. Graham, responding to a letter the governor sent to Florida's congressional delegation, criticized Scott for focusing blame on President Barack Obama, instead of focusing on the actual issue, protecting Florida's environment. (Click here for a copy of the full letter.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Gwen Graham sent a letter to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection voicing her concerns over its plan to lower the state’s water standards.
“The Department of Environmental Protection should be working to protect our waters, not making it easier to pollute them,” Rep. Graham said. “In Florida, our lakes, rivers, springs and coastal waters aren’t just vital for a healthy ecology and economy – they’re essential to our very way of life.”