[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 91 (Thursday, June 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1176-E1177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 JOBS AND ENERGY PERMITTING ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2021) to 
     amend the Clean Air Act regarding air pollution from Outer 
     Continental Shelf activity:

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the Capps 
amendment to H.R. 2021.
  I thank my colleague, the gentlelady from California for bringing 
this amendment to the floor.
  The Capps amendment corrects a glaring flaw in this legislation by 
maintaining the rights of states who have already been delegated 
authority to continue to regulate and monitor air pollution from 
offshore oil and gas operations that will ultimately affect their 
residents.
  H.R. 2021 seeks to degrade state permitting powers by cutting time 
frames, restricting citizen engagement, and shifting responsibilities 
back to the Environmental Protection Agency.
  I find it interesting that some of my colleagues who campaign on 
small government have decided to fight regulation by stripping 
authority from local agencies and handing it over to a federal 
bureaucracy!
  Under the Clean Air Act, states have the right to issue permits and 
regulate emissions according to their own criteria, which either meet 
or exceed national standards.
  States and localities should take the lead in regulating pollution 
because they are most responsive to the concerns of their citizens and

[[Page E1177]]

familiar with the dynamics at work on the ground.
  In my home state of California, cities such as Los Angeles, where my 
37th Congressional District is located, have struggled with air 
pollution for decades.
  Thanks to the efforts of state regulatory agencies, such as the 
California Air Resources Board, the region has seen a marked 
improvement in air quality and other environmental indicators. The 
number of air quality alerts has fallen from over 200 per year in the 
1970s to less than 10 per year today.
  For 17 years, the Air Resources Board has regulated and monitored oil 
and gas operations near my district. The standards they employ were 
developed over nearly 5 decades of experience, and, most importantly, 
they remain directly accountable to the people and communities of 
California.
  Mr. Chair, I believe that if a state invests time and money towards 
establishing high standards and creating innovative solutions to a 
problem, they ought to enjoy the full support of the law.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Capps amendment.

                          ____________________