Is this the End for the EPA?

Posted on by creatinganationunited

I had come across the Sierra Club post on Facebook several times claiming that Republicans were trying to take down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I came across one comment where the individual claimed that it was “a sham, proposed by one Congressman, clickbait.” Given everything that I have seen on Facebook, this claim actually seemed 100% possible. So even though this individual also commented on President Trump’s adjustment into office, the federal debt, and President Obama’s economic recovery plans, I decided to only address the one point about the current dispute about whether or not the Republican led House was attempting to dismantle the EPA. This is what I found on Congress.gov my new favorite website for discovering what is actually going on in both the Senate and Congress. Remember YOU can find all this information online!

*****At the bottom of this post I will include details about the 35 bills, resolutions, Acts or amendments that have been proposed thus far in 2017. I have included who introduced them, what party they represent, the number of cosponsors and the parties they represent, the number and title of the proposed action, a brief summary, or if a summary is still “in progress” I have attempted to read through the political jargon and discern some semblance of understanding in order to provide you with some sort of summary.

Here are the numbers, from which you can come to your own conclusions…

As previously mentioned there have been a total of 35 bills, resolutions, Acts or amendments that have been proposed in 2017. Of these 35:

  1. 28 of these have been proposed since President Trump took office on January 20th, 2017;
  2. 30 have been introduced by Republicans and 5 by Democrats;
  3. 5 have been proposed with no cosponsors;
  4. 12 have only Republican cosponsors and 5 have only Democrat cosponsors;
  5. 4 are Republican bills have three or more cosponsors who are Democrats;
  6. 2 are Republican bills with two cosponsors who are Democrat; and
  7. 7 have been proposed by Republicans with 1 cosponsor who is Democrat.

What I found surprising is that the individual who posted the comment was both correct and incorrect. There has only been one Republican who proposed a bill to “terminate” the EPA as of 12/3/2018, but it does have 6 Republican cosponsors. Additionally there are 19 more bills, resolutions, Acts or amendments that have been proposed only by the Republican party:

  1. 7 seek to limit the EPA’s reach in some way,
  2. 6 seek to end specific programs in the EPA,
  3. 6 increase the amount of time states have to reach certain standards designated by the EPA.

Any additional information that you want to look for or learn more about can be found on the, relatively, easy to navigate Congress.gov!

The following information is not listed in order, but rather as it appears on the website as of 3/12/2017.

  1. On 2/7/2017, Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX-3) introduced H.R.958 (Wasteful EPA Programs Elimination Act of 2017) with no cosponsors. This bill ends the EPA’s grant programs and stops the EPA from setting up new grant programs. It also ends its National Clean Diesel Campaign and its environmental justice programs.
  2. On 1/24/2017, Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL-6) introduced H.R. 637 (Stopping EPA Overreach Act of 2017); this bill has 121 cosponsors, all of whom all Republican. Amends the Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride pollution from the scope of that Act. It also states the EPA cannot make regulation or policies demands on businesses if it negatively impacts employment or unless it is first approved by Congress and signed by the president.
  3. Also on 1/24/2017, Representative David Rouzer (R-NC-7) introduced H.R. 694 (Stop EPA Overregulation of Rural Americans Act); this bill has 14 cosponsors with one Democrat (Representative Tom O’Halleran from Arizona-1). This bill makes the “Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces” from March 16, 2015 (also cited as the “Relief from New Source Performance Standards Act of 2017”). This original bill gave businesses until May 15, 2023 to comply with new standards.
  4. On 1/31/2017, Representative James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI-5) introduced H.R. 776 (To require that until a comprehensive study is completed, the volume of cellulosic biofuel mandated under the renewable fuel program be limited to what is commercially available, and for other purposes). The bill works to limit the EPA’s regulation of cellulosic biofuel to what is commercially available. It has 14 cosponsors: 13 Republicans and 1 Democrat.
  5. On 2/1/2017, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced S. 263 (Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017); this bill currently has 5 cosponsors with one Democrat (Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV) in support. The bill changes lengthens and delays the timeline for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) programs; for example, it delays the state’s reports on 2015 ozone NAAQS and delays the review cycle for criteria pollutants.
  6. On 3/8/2017, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX-21) introduced H.R. 1430 (To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible); this bill currently has 29 cosponsors with the support of one democrat, Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28). This Act can also be cited as “Honest and Open EPA Science Treatment Act of 2017” or the “HONEST Act”. An official summary is in progress but from what I can discern from the ‘Text’ that they provide is that this required the EPA to publish all their data online “for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results” but also states that “personally identifiable information, trade secrets, or commercial or financial information” will not be available to the public.
  7. On 2/16/2017, Representative Tom Rice (R-SC-7) introduced H.R.1179 (Discouraging Frivolous Lawsuits Act); this bill currently has 38 cosponsors, all of whom are Republican. This bill takes away the ability of the EPA to “deny or restrict” using “any area as a disposal site for dredged or fill material when the discharge of those materials would have an unacceptable adverse effect on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas, wildlife, or recreational areas.”
  8. On 2/17/2017, Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI-1) Introduced H.R.1202 (Red Hill Oversight and Environmental Protection Act of 2017); the bill has one cosponsor, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2). This addresses the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility specifically. The facility stores the fuel for various government “vessels and aircrafts” and provides many benefits to the US military; it also is “approximately 100 feet above the basal groundwater table on the boundary of the Waimalu and Moanalua Aquifer Systems”. In 2008, the Navy found that more than 30 fuel leaks had occurred since 1947 leading to the release of “approximately” 170,000 gallons of fuel and in 2014 the Navy discovered that “approximately” 27,000 gallons had leaked out of one of their fuel tanks. The budget for construction on this project between 2017-2010 is limited to $6,780,000.
  9. On 2/16/2017, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced in the Senate as S.437 (Red Hill Oversight and Environmental Protection Act of 2017; the bill has one cosponsor, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI). The official summary is still in progress but the bill seems to be identical to #8.
  10. On 2/14/2017, Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) introduced H.R. 1029 (Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act of 2017) and can also be cited as the “Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act of 2017”. This bill currently has no cosponsors. The official summary is still in progress. The bill amends the “Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to improve pesticide registration and other activities under the Act, to extend and modify fee authorities”. The bill maintains the available budget of $500,000 by extending the time period of the budget from 2017 to 2023. I kind of gave up interpreting this one because it was a bill that amended other bills by “striking” and “inserting” words into various sections of the original without making the original easily accessible or decipherable.
  11. On 3/8/2017, Representative Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3) introduced H.R. 1431 (To amend the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to provide for Scientific Advisory Board member qualifications, public participation, and for other purposes); the bill has 28 cosponsors with support from Representative Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7). An official summary is still in progress. This bill amends “the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to provide for Scientific Advisory Board member qualifications, public participation, and for other purposes” and can also be cited as the “EPA Science Advisory Reform Act of 2017”.
  12. 1/13/2017: Representative Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7) introduced H.R. 465 (Water Quality Improvement Act of 2017). This bill has five Republican cosponsors. This allows “municipalities” to figure out the “most effective and protective” ways to comply with address the requirements in the Federal Water Polluted Control Act and work in conjunction with the Administrator. Over the next 5 years, the Administrator will work with state, local, and regional authorities to “facilitate the efforts of, not fewer than 15 municipalities to develop and implement integrated plans and permits to meet the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act”.
  13. On 2/15/2017, Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-6) introduced H.R. 1068 (Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2017); this bill has 9 cosponsors, all of whom are democrat. This act works to amend The Safe Drinking Water Act that hasn’t been “substantially amended in more than 20 years”. It works to provide regulation on drinking water “contaminants” and reduce lead in drinking water.
  14. On 2/3/2017, Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced Resolution S.J.Res.21 (A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS). This bill has no cosponsors. The original Cross-State Air Pollution Rule gave $880 million to 22 states to help reduce the “ground-level ozone exposure”.
  15. On 2/28/2017, Representative Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13) introduced H.R. 1261 (Federal Regulatory Certainty for Water Act); the sole cosponsor is Representative Kevin Cramer (R-ND-At Large). An official summary is in progress. This Act can also be cited as the “Federal Regulatory Certainty for Water Act” and works to “clarify the definition of navigable waters, and for other purposes” and nullifies the 2015 “Clean Water Rule: Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’”. The 2015, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defined what waters would be protected under the Clean Water Act.
  16. On 2/27/2017, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced S.453 (Agency PAYGO for Greenhouse Gases Act). There are two cosponsors for this bill, both are Republican and both are from Arizona. An official summary is still in progress. This bill proposes that if the EPA is going to limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and as a result “imposes increased costs on one or more Federal agencies”, the EPA will have to provide a rule to “offset” the costs necessary from the EPA.
  17. On 1/6/2017, Representative Scott Perry (R-PA-4) introduced Resolution H.J.Res.22 “nullifies” the rule the EPA established on June 3, 2016 that originally provided new standards of “emissions of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds from the oil and natural gas sector” as dictated under the Clean Air Act. This bill has 0 cosponsors.
  18. On 1/10/2017 Representative Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-2014) proposed H.R. 417 (To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the improvement of consumer confidence reports, and for other purposes). This bill has one Democrat cosponsor. This amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to make sure that consumers are provided with reports that are easy to understand. Right now, individuals receive annual reports about the water quality of their community reservoir.
  19. On 3/2/2017, Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK) introduced Resolution S.J.Res.28 (a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency relating to accidental release prevention requirements of risk management programs under the Clean Air Act). There are 8 cosponsors for this bill, all are Republican. An official summary is still in progress. This bill seeks to overturn a previous bill in which the EPA will “encourage or otherwise promote reasonable Federal, State, and local governmental actions, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, for pollution prevention.”
  20. On 2/27/2017, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced S.454 (Commonsense Legislative Exceptional Events Reforms Act of 2017). There are 2 cosponsors for this bill; both are republican and are from Arizona. An official summary is still in progress. I had trouble deciphering this one but the general gist is that it would provide amendments to the Clean Air Act in terms of “air quality monitoring data by exceptional events”. Just to be clear, the Clean Air Act defines an exceptional event as one that “affects air quality, is not reasonably controllable or preventable”, is caused by “human activity”, and is determined as such by the EPA.
  21. 2/3/2017, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) introduced H.R. 861 (To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency). It was cosponsors by 6 Republicans. This bill “terminates” the EPA on 12/31/2018.
  22. On 1/11/2017 Representative Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7) introduced H.R. 453 (Relief from New Source Performance Standards Act of 2017). An official summary is still in progress. This bill focuses on delaying the “compliance date” of standards on new residential wood heaters, new residential hydronic heaters, and forced-air furnaces to be May 15, 2023.
  23. 1/12/ Senator Deb Fisher (R-NE) introduced S.Res.12 (A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that clean water is a national priority, and that the June 29, 2015, Waters of the United States Rule should be withdrawn or vacated). This bill has 1 Republican cosponsor. This rule works to overturn the Clean Water Act that the EPA and the US Corps of Engineers issued on 6/29/2015.
  24. On 2/7/2017, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced S.340 (Sensible Environmental Protection Act of 2017). This bill was cosponsored by 16 members of the House (3 Democrats & 13 Republicans). An official summary is still in progress. It was a little hard to figure this one out but it seems like this bill proposes that there should be no permits needed for the use of authorized pesticides “in or near navigable waters”.
  25. On 1/31/2017, Representative James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI-5) introduced H.R.777 (To provide for a comprehensive assessment of the scientific and technical research on the implications of the use of mid-level ethanol blends, and for other purposes) with Representative Peter DeFazo (D-OR-4) as a cosponsor. This bill requires the Office of Research and Development at the EPA to work with the National Academy of Science in providing an assessment of the environmental impact those mid-level ethanol-gasoline blends (10%-0% ethanol) versus gasoline which contains 10-20% ethanol. It seems like it basically increases the amount of ethanol in gasoline unless there are able to prove a harmful impact.
  26. On 1/31/2017, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced S.203 (RPM Act of 2017), with 26 cosponsors (6 Democrats & 20 Republicans). An official summary is still in progress. This bill proposed that the EPA cannot regulate vehicles that are only used in competition sports.
  27. On 2/16/2017, Representative Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12) introduced H.R. 1119 (SENSE Act) with 4 Republican cosponsors. This bill can also be referred to as “Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act”. An official summary is still in progress. From what I was able to glean from the text of the bill it is directly specifically at coal refuse stating that the EPA cannot increase the total budgets for states addressing sulfur dioxide emissions. However, this bill made me go a bit cross-eyed with the amount of information it contained so I suggest you check it out for yourself.
  28. On 1/3/2017 Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26) introduced H.R.119 (LEVEL Act). The official summary is still in progress and this bill has no cosponsors. This bill is intended to repeal the Clean Air Act’s expansion of the renewable fuel program.
  29. On 3/2/2017, Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-6) introduced H.R.1314 (Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Act). This act is supported by 62 cosponsors, all of whom are Republican. An official summary is still in progress. The act seeks to get rid of the EPA’s renewable fuel program.
  30. On 2/27/2017, Representative Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7) introduced Resolution H.Res.152 (Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that clean water is a national priority, and that the June 29, 2015, Waters of the United States Rule should be withdrawn or vacated) with 43 Republican cosponsors and 1 Democratic. An official summary is still in progress. I believe this bill proposes to limit the EPA’s federal power in terms of water safety in order to return that power to the states.
  31. On 2/7/2017, Representative Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7) introduced H.R.953 (Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017) with 36 cosponsors (34 Republicans and 2 Democrats). An official summary is still in progress. This bill introduces an amendment to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act that removes the permit previously needed for the “discharge from a point source into navigable waters of a pesticide authorized for sale, distribution, or use”.
  32. On 2/3/2017, Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4) introduced H.R. 848 (Farm Regulatory Certainty Act) with 39 cosponsors; 11 Democrats and 28 Republicans.
  33. On 2/1/2017, Representative Pete Olson (R-TX-22) introduced H.R.806 (Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017) with 19 Republicans and 2 Democrats as cosponsors. An official summary is still in progress. This increases the amount of time that states have to comply with the Clean Air Act standards for air pollutants from five years to ten years. It also delayed the amount of time to several clauses designated by the Clean Air Act and claims that “no additional funds” will be provided in achieving the details of this Act.
  34. On 2/1/2017, Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2) introduced Resolution H.J.Res.59 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs under the Clean Air Act”) with 49 Republican cosponsors. This rule overturns the EPA’s initial rule which addressed “safety at facilities that use and distribute hazardous chemicals” by requiring the federal government to “carry out a number of tasks intended to prevent chemical incidents”.
  35. 1/6/2017, Representative Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10) introduced (RPM Act of 2017). This bill has 105 cosponsors, 11 of whom are Democrats. This bill again amends the Clean Air Act to not include emissions standards on motor vehicles that are used for competition.

 

I started this post four days before I was able to finish it. In that short time period, 2 more bills that related to the EPA had been introduced and I had to backtrack to figure out which ones were new. For some reason, Congress.gov does not list the bills chronologically or in any seemingly logical order (to your average layman such as myself).

In this technological world of constant information, remember to not get too caught up in the fatalistic tone that many in the media or Facebook inhabit. Everyday our government is in motion and everyday something new is taking place. If you start to feel like it’s the end of the world as you know it, my advice would be to do a little research. If you go to the actual source of the information, you can cut through the heated emotional bipartisan sentiment that clouds the way political information is disseminated through the media.

 

 

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