Clean Water Action Federal Candidate Questionnaire - 2022 Election

Clean Water Act programs are responsible for 50 years of progress in cleaning up and protecting our nation’s vital water resources. Will you support Biden Administration actions that reverse the 2020 Navigable Waters Rule, restoring Clean Water Act protection to wetlands and small streams that are drinking water sources for over 117 million Americans?

The Clean Water Act’s visionary goal of eliminating water pollution is far from realized and critical initiatives were rolled back by the prior administration. For example, coal-burning power plants are the top discharger of toxics like mercury and lead into our nation’s water and put drinking water at risk, but the first-ever limits on this pollution have been weakened. Will you support efforts to restore and strengthen Clean Water Act limits on coal plant water pollution and to put the Clean Water Act to work to protect all of the nation’s water, including vital drinking water sources?

The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program is supposed to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination by oil and gas wastewater disposal. However, there are serious flaws in the oversight of enhanced oil recovery and disposal well operations, and hydraulic fracturing is exempt from this program. Will you support stronger federal oversight of this program, along with aggressive implementation, closing loopholes, and sufficient funding in order to protect underground sources of drinking water from risky oil and gas activities?

Our nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems need billions of dollars of infrastructure improvements to update aging facilities and better meet the challenges of providing clean water to our nation’s residents. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing a significant infusion of funding, particularly for Lead Service Line replacement, but more is still needed. Will you support efforts to significantly increase investments in updating drinking water and wastewater facilities and replacing lead service lines, improving treatment, and protecting drinking water sources, and support administration efforts to ensure that these funds are used consistent with Justice40 principles?

Do you support federal efforts to supplement existing ratepayer assistance programs with a federal water rate assistance program housed permanently at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with efforts to promote better public water system management, operations, transparency and accountability in order to ensure that everyone has access to drinking water and sanitation services?

Communities of color and low-income communities bear the greatest burden of environmental pollution, have the least access to programs to address this pollution, and are too often left out of decision-making processes that affect their communities. Will you support legislation like the Environmental Justice Act of 2021 (S2630) and the Environmental Justice for All Act (S872) that would codify and expand the 1994 Executive Order on Environmental Justice, require all federal agencies to embed environmental justice issues in their work and require consideration of cumulative impacts in permit decisions?

Proposals like the previous REINS Act that are designed to make it harder for EPA and other agencies to promulgate rules are likely to be considered again in the 2023-24 session.  Will you oppose bills that require Congressional approval of all major regulations and other efforts to reduce the ability of agencies to issue regulations to protect our health and environment?

President Biden has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030, reaching a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and achieving a net-zero economy by no later than 2050. Will you support these reductions, and to ensure that justice and equity for communities of color and low-income communities are central aspects of the US climate agenda?

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases coming from oil and gas operations. In addition to its climate impact, it also harms the health of frontline communities and is responsible for toxic co-pollutants that cause respiratory and other illnesses. Do you support EPA’s recent proposal to rein in methane emissions from both new and existing oil and gas infrastructure, like wells, processing facilities and transmission lines?

25% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US come from public lands, primarily from coal, oil and gas extraction, while proposed new leases along the US coastline will continue to increase domestic fossil fuel extraction activities.  Will you support actions and policies that reduce fossil fuel extraction and production on federal lands and stop opening new areas of our coastline and the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for drilling leases?

PFAS chemicals, the so-called “forever chemicals,” are a class of human-made chemicals that are toxic even in very low concentrations and highly persistent and mobile in the environment. They have been increasingly found in water across the nation, including drinking water sources and are in many consumer products, food packaging and firefighting foam. Will you support legislative proposals or EPA action to establish health-based water quality criteria for PFAS in surface waters; list PFAS as a toxic pollutant under the Clean Water Act, eliminate this class of PFAS chemicals in products we use; provide assistance to water systems, especially in disadvantaged communities to monitor for and treat PFAS; and ensure that polluters pay for the damage they have done?

The foundations of our democracy are being challenged by reduced protections for voting rights, unlimited spending on campaigns, and gerrymandering so extreme that district maps around the country have been thrown out by courts. Will you support legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act: John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect voting rights, end extreme gerrymandering, and strengthen election security?

Over 700,000 people reside in the District of Columbia and have no voting representation in Congress. Will you support legislation admitting the residential portions of Washington, DC as the 51st state while preserving a core federal district encompassing the Capitol, White House, National Mall, and military facilities? (similar to HR51, the Washington, DC Admission Act in the 118th Congress)