Environment

Some legislators are calling for action in the wake of a federal report on the apparent sabotage of an oil train north of Bellingham last year. That train derailed and caught fire after it split apart, then slammed into itself. A Federal Railroad Administration investigation published last week found that the train’s brakes and couplers had apparently been tampered with. Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene says she’s demanding answers from BNSF Railway. “This impacts all of our communities w... Read more

Today, U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the Negate Emissions to Zero (NET Zero) Act, legislation that would substantially increase tax incentives to boost the developing direct air capture industry. DelBene and Beyer serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over tax policy in the House of Representatives, and which is currently writing clean energy tax incentive provisions in the Build Back Better Act. “Climate change is an e... Read more

Dear friend, This week, Washington state launched ShakeAlert, an early warning system that will help our communities in the event of an earthquake. The alert system will send real-time information straight to your phone about the magnitude and location of an earthquake, so you have time to prepare and take protective actions. Most phones already have Wireless Emergency Alerts or “Emergency Alerts” set up. You can check that these alerts are turned on in your phone’s settings—otherwise, there’s n... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced a resolution with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Don Beyer (VA-08), Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Ron Kind (WI-03) to direct the Biden administration to restart and conclude negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). The EGA negotiations are designed to incentivize a greener global economy by eliminating tariffs globally on a range of environmental products, like wind turbines, solar water heaters, and bicycles. These negoti... Read more

Today, Congress passed the National Landslide Preparedness Act (H.R. 8810), bipartisan legislation that will help save lives, protect communities and property, and improve natural disaster emergency preparedness by targeting key gaps in science and mapping critical to understanding landslide hazards. The bill was introduced by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) in the House of Representatives and Washington Senator Maria Cantwell in the Senate. This information will help communities plan for an... Read more

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a clean energy bill that will make long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy and is a major step forward in addressing the growing climate crisis. The Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R. 4447) makes new investments in clean energy, improves the efficiency of our homes, schools, and businesses, modernizes outdated infrastructure, reduces our carbon footprint, and prioritizes environmental justice. “Addressing the climate crisis, updating ou... Read more

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement after the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington signed an agreement expanding wildlife and watershed restoration projects in northwest Washington: “I congratulate the Tulalip Tribes and U.S. Forest Service for reaching a first of its kind agreement that will preserve and revitalize our local ecosystems. We all have an interest in being good stewards of the environment and protecting the anima... Read more

Today, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act (H.R. 1957) to protect and enhance our national parks and public lands for decades to come. This is increasingly important now in the face of a rapidly changing climate and a backlog of maintenance issues. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) is a cosponsor of the bill and voted in support of its passage. The bill fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a priority of DelBene’s fo... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced H.Res.828, the Resolution on the Environmental Goods Agreement, which would direct the Trump administration to restart and conclude negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement. The Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) negotiations were first initiated in 2014 by 14 World Trade Organization (WTO) members – including the United States – with the goal of removing tariffs on key environmental goods like wind turbines, water treatment filter... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) continued her “Suzan Shows Up” tour by meeting with local government officials in addition to representatives from private companies and universities to highlight the value of smart cities technologies. DelBene toured the King Country Metro Traffic Control Center and got an up-close look at their traffic grid, followed by a roundtable discussion to see how government, the private sector and others can work together on investing in smart cities. “The Uni... Read more