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Amy Klobuchar on EnvironmentDFL Sr Senator (MN); Democratic presidential contender |
KLOBUCHAR: I do have a price on my plan. What I would do is first of all putting a price on carbon, and you can do this with cap-and-trade, or you can do it with simply a carbon tax, or you can do it with a combination with the renewable electricity standard. That alone will bring in trillions of dollars. And some of that can be used to help communities that are going to be affected by this, and make sure people have jobs coming out of this. Then the other part about it is environmental justice, right? And making sure that the communities that are most affected get the help that they need. Once you repeal parts of that Republican tax bill that were so regressive, using some of that money for infrastructure, you get the funding you need--the $2 trillion to $3 trillion range, part of it is with matching funds.
KLOBUCHAR: Let me make very clear, I am strongly in favor of the Endangered Species Act. I have always supported the Endangered Species Act, and I would do anything to reverse some of the suggestions that the president has made recently to repeal it or to water it down. The wolf in Minnesota, what you are referring to, is a situation where they actually made the numbers in a big way to get off the endangered species list. President Obama's administration supported getting the wolves off of the list. If you follow the rules--once you're over the number of animals then you should allow them to be delisted--otherwise it doesn't really make sense. So that's where we are on that right now, and we'll see what happens if this time the plan will make it through the courts and obviously if they go below the levels they should be delisted.
FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Andrew Yang.
Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.
The land exchange is a prerequisite for PolyMet to build a copper-nickel mine--the first mine of its kind in Minnesota--near Hoyt Lakes, on northeastern Minnesota's Iron Range. Smith and other supporters say the land swap has benefits to the region regardless of mining.
Environmental advocates and other critics, however, have argued the amendment would remove an obstacle to the operation of a mine they believe will have disastrous effects on the environment in the name of temporary and limited economic gain.
As the Owatonna People's Press reported: "Kennedy came out swinging first, telling the crowd that Klobuchar is supported by an special interest group--the League of Conservation Voters, which he never named from the stage--that considers manure a toxic waste."
"I don't want to get into the manure here," I shot back, "but I don't think manure is a toxic waste." After the debate, I quipped: "If he wants to go down into the manure, I will go down with him."
The media couldn't help but take it from there. "Politicians spread manure at Farmfest," the headline in the Mankato Free Press reported after the debate. "Kennedy's manure spin just doesn't pass the smell test," Willmar's West Central Tribune chimed in. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Beach Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to include among eligible grant activities the development and implementation of programs for source tracking, sanitary surveys, and prevention efforts to address the identified sources of beach water pollution. Requires grant recipients to identify:
A joint resolution expressing the approval of Congress to an inter-state compact regarding water resources. In the Great Lakes--St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact the Congress finds that:
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes. Known in the Senate as the Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act of 2009.
112th Mid-Term Humane Scorecard: The Humane Society Legislative Fund has posted the final version of the 2011 Humane Scorecard, where you can track the performance of your federal lawmakers on key animal protection issues during last year. We rated legislators based on their voting behavior on measures such as agribusiness subsidies, lethal predator control, and the Endangered Species Act; their cosponsorship of priority bills on puppy mills, horse slaughter, animal fighting, and chimps in research; their support for funding the enforcement of animal welfare laws; and their leadership on animal protection. All of the priority bills whose cosponsorships we`re counting enjoy strong bipartisan support; in the House, each of the four now has more than 150 cosponsors.
The Humane Scorecard is not a perfect measuring tool, but creating some reasonable yardstick and allowing citizens to hold lawmakers accountable is central to our work. When the Humane Scorecard comes out each year, it helps clarify how the animal protection movement is doing geographically, by party affiliation, and in other categories. It helps us chart our course for animals by seeing where we have been effective, and where we need to improve.
Congressional Summary:Amends the Clean Water Act to prohibit the EPA from requiring permits for a discharge of stormwater runoff resulting from silviculture activities.
Opponent`s argument against bill: (Evergreen Magazine and Washington Forest Law Center): In Aug. 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that polluted stormwater generated by logging roads is subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act. [The ruling meant] that rain runoff from forest roads constituted an industrial (not forestry) activity, which should be considered a `point source` discharge under the CWA. The lawsuit was brought because forest roads have been dumping sediment into rivers that support myriad species of salmon and resident trout, all of which are at risk from the pollution. The ruling will require State agencies to issue permits and ensure that road construction and maintenance practices limit or eliminate such discharges.
In March 2013, the US Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit: permits are not required for stormwater discharges from pipes, ditches and channels along logging roads. [This legislation supports the Supreme Court ruling, against the Ninth Circuit conclusion].
Proponent`s argument for bill: (Press release by sponsors):
Sen. WYDEN (D-OR): `We need a healthy timber industry to provide timber jobs and to do the restoration work that ensures healthy forests. The way to do that is to stop litigating questions that have already been answered.`
Sen. CRAPO (R-ID): `The jobs and economic activities relating to the forest products industry are critical to the Pacific Northwest. The Clean Water Act was not intended to regulate stormwater runoff on forest roads.`
Rep. HERRERA BEUTLER (R-WA): `At the heart of our efforts are the moms and dads employed by healthy, working forests--and passing this law will help make sure they have jobs, and will help make our forests healthy.`
Library of Congress Summary: This joint resolution nullifies the rule finalized by the Department of the Interior on Aug. 5, 2016, relating to non-subsistence takings of wildlife and public participation and closure procedures on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska.
Case for voting YES by House Republican Policy Committee: The Fish and Wildlife Service rule--which lays claim to more than 20% of Alaska--violates ANILCA (Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act) and the Alaska Statehood Compact. Not only does [the existing 2016 rule] undermine Alaska`s ability to manage fish and wildlife upon refuge lands, it fundamentally destroys a cooperative relationship between Alaska and the federal government.
Case for voting NO by the Sierra Club (April 6, 2017):