[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 92 (Friday, June 24, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 JOBS AND ENERGY PERMITTING ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             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. LEE. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2021.
  By overriding offshore air pollution rules H.R. 2021 dirties our 
coasts and oceans, endangers the health of our citizens and 
constituents, and keeps us trapped in the quagmire of the 20th century 
energy economy when we should be pressing towards the 21st.
  I am distressed that many of my colleagues, while consistently 
touting an increased role for local and state government, want to 
completely overrun existing state health and environmental regulations. 
As the California Air Resources Board expressed in testimony, this bill 
will ``quash local control, impose tremendous new costs on state and 
local government and taxpayers, and disenfranchise community groups and 
local stakeholders.''
  Let us not lose sight of the fact that the Clean Air Act is first and 
foremost about public health and protecting our citizens from dangerous 
pollution that directly threatens their health. Turning again to 
testimony from the California Air Resources Board, which is supported 
by the Boards of other states, this bill will severely limit existing 
protections for public health in coastal states. I would particularly 
note that, as allowed for in section three, ships involved in drilling 
activities would not have to use emissions control technology, even 
though these ships already comprise the vast proportion of pollution 
from drilling operations.
  Section two of this bill demands that the pollution being disgorged 
by offshore drilling projects be measured at the point of its impact 
with the shoreline. What some of my distinguished colleagues appear to 
have forgotten is that we in the coastal states actually engage in 
activities that extend past the shore.
  Let's forget for a moment the enormous implications that this measure 
has for climate change and environmental degradation. What section two 
essentially states is that the health and safety of our fishermen, 
boaters, and the workers engaging in the very projects that are the 
topic of the present debate are inconsequential. I oppose this bill so 
strongly because these are the people who deserve and need to be 
protected.
  For these reasons, I offer my complete support to my colleague from 
California, Representative Speier, one of the many Members here today 
whose constituents will suffer directly under this provision. Her 
amendment to cut section two from this bill represents at least a small 
step toward limiting the appalling health and environmental 
consequences of H.R. 2021, and I support that amendment 
unconditionally.
  My district is home to the Port of Oakland, the fourth busiest 
container port in the United States. Large container ships like the 
ones we're talking about here produce enormous amounts of pollution, 
and when loading and unloading at ports and docks can contribute 
drastic health consequences for the surrounding communities. These 
communities, like West Oakland in my district, are often home to poor 
communities and people of color, groups that remain under-represented 
in this body. Sacrificing their health and the health of coastal 
communities all around this country to increase the profits of big 
polluters like Shell Oil Company is flat-out wrong. I do not and will 
not support it.
  This bill would allow the world's largest oil companies to circumvent 
pollution standards that have protected our air and health for decades. 
Rolling back environmental protections hurts my constituents, and it 
hurts Americans all around the country.
  H.R. 2021 is bad for our health, bad for our environment, and bad for 
our country. I stand firmly with my colleagues in opposing this bill.

                          ____________________