Congress Moves To Destroy Clean Port Plans, Following Trump EPA

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

On Thurs Aug 6, Republicans in both houses of Congress introduced resolutions that would repeal two vital environmental regulations protecting California’s port communities, as described in our just-published story, “Trump EPA Moves To Destroy Clean Port Plans.”

The resolutions are advancing under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal Clean Air Act (CAA) waivers that allow California to write its own regulations, which are stricter than national ones, to meet targets required under the CAA. The two regulations would save 760 lives and $7.56 billion in health costs.

Congress has moved to revoke similar laws in two waves of actions last year and in June of this year, over the objections of the General Accounting Office and the Senate Parliamentarian, both of whom have declared that the waivers are not rules subject to the CRA. As a result, both are now in litigation brought by California’s Attorney General, as this new effort is sure to be as well.

“While the U.S. wants to lead the shipbuilding industry, Congress is undercutting the competitiveness of the industry by overturning California’s clean shipping waivers,” said Davina Hurt, Pacific Environment’s Climate Policy Director. “This congressional attack on California’s At Berth and Commercial Harbor Craft waivers undercuts longstanding investments already made in cleaner vessels, port infrastructure and maritime innovations,” she explained.

“Instead of playing politics with our health, undermining the regulatory certainty businesses rely on, and jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private investments made under these life-saving rules, Congress should recognize this blatant overreach by the oil and gas industry to continue to put profits over people,” Hurt said. “Oil companies have made a shocking $93 billion in profits over the last three months, and it’s time to put the responsibility on these corporations instead of the communities, workers and businesses that pay the cost.”