Discussion · Senate
Alex Padilla Democrat
“I want the Senate to pass this bill. Western states face worse wildfires and toxic smoke every year. Controlled burns are the best way to prevent huge fires, but states worry the government will punish them for smoke if they use them. This bill makes it easier for states to use controlled burns without hurting their air quality ratings.”
“Mr. President, colleagues, I am proud to join our colleagues from Utah and Oregon in bringing up this bill. I can’t overstate both the importance and the urgency of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, which is a result of more than a year of bipartisan negotiations and a measure that recently passed unanimously out of the Environment and Public Works Committee. As my colleague from Oregon has begun to paint the picture, Western States--including Oregon, California, and others--are confronting a crisis of wildfires that aren’t just growing larger and larger every year but more destructive every year and emitting massive amounts of toxic smoke. Now, there is no silver bullet for solving the wildfire crisis, but we know that prescribed fires--experience tells us and the data tells us that prescribed fires are the most effective tools in reducing hazardous fuels and preventing catastrophic wildfires. Will they continue to happen--fires? Yes, but if we can prevent them, that is ideal or at least let’s mitigate their size, their scope, and the damage that they cause however we can. But the problem that brings us to this measure is that while the EPA regulations have allowed prescribed fires to qualify as exceptional events since 2016, the Agency has never actually approved one, leaving States worried that using this critical tool--this provenly effective tool--to protect communities could jeopardize their air quality goals. By trying to do good and prevent fires or mitigate fires from a public safety standpoint, you are penalized on the air quality side of things. So this bill creates a narrow, targeted pathway specifically for prescribed fires while preserving existing air quality standards for other exceptional events. I want to thank my colleagues from Utah and Oregon for their partnership in this important bill, and kudos to Chairwoman Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse on the committee who helped craft this measure as well.”
Mr. President, colleagues, I am proud to join our colleagues from Utah and Oregon in bringing up this bill. I can’t overstate both the importance and the urgency of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, which is a result of more than a year of bipartisan negotiations and a measure that recently passed unanimously out of the Environment and Public Works Committee. As my colleague from Oregon has begun to paint the picture, Western States--including Oregon, California, and others--are confronting a crisis of wildfires that aren’t just growing larger and larger every year but more destructive every year and emitting massive amounts of toxic smoke. Now, there is no silver bullet for solving the wildfire crisis, but we know that prescribed fires--experience tells us and the data tells us that prescribed fires are the most effective tools in reducing hazardous fuels and preventing catastrophic wildfires. Will they continue to happen--fires? Yes, but if we can prevent them, that is ideal or at least let’s mitigate their size, their scope, and the damage that they cause however we can. But the problem that brings us to this measure is that while the EPA regulations have allowed prescribed fires to qualify as exceptional events since 2016, the Agency has never actually approved one, leaving States worried that using this critical tool--this provenly effective tool--to protect communities could jeopardize their air quality goals. By trying to do good and prevent fires or mitigate fires from a public safety standpoint, you are penalized on the air quality side of things. So this bill creates a narrow, targeted pathway specifically for prescribed fires while preserving existing air quality standards for other exceptional events. I want to thank my colleagues from Utah and Oregon for their partnership in this important bill, and kudos to Chairwoman Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse on the committee who helped craft this measure as well.