Shea-Porter Amendment Included in Oil Spill Response Legislation

Amendment Strengthens Interior Ethics Provisions and Requires the Use of Best Available Oil Spill Technology When Necessary

 

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s amendment to the CLEAR Act.  Congresswoman Shea-Porter’s amendment ensures that the ethics guidelines required for certain Department of Interior employees are updated at least every three years.  It also ensures that the best available technology for oil spill response and mitigation, and the accessibility of that technology is part of the Offshore Technology Research and Risk Assessment Program.  Finally, the amendment requires that operators annually certify that their response and exploration plans include the best available technology and its availability.

 

“My amendment strengthens the ethics rules at the Department of Interior and will help develop and employ new technologies to prevent and cleanup oil spills,” said Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter.  “The BP spill in the Gulf made clear that while oil companies were spending time and money to develop new ways to drill in new places, they were not putting their resources into making sure we had the technology to prevent and cleanup a spill.  My amendment will change that.”

 

The CLEAR Act will ensure strong new safety measures to protect our coastal communities and waters.  This legislation requires independent certification of critical oil clean-up equipment, holds BP and the oil industry fully responsible for cleanup costs and recovery after spills by removing the $75 million cap on economic damages, strengthens oversight of oil drilling, and forces oil companies to pay their fair share for drilling on public lands.  Congresswoman Shea-Porter is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.  

Shea-Porter Statement on Wall Street Reform

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter released the following statement after the Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act was signed into law. 

“This is a great day for the American people. The Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act will rein in reckless Wall Street banks and protect consumers from abusive lending practices.  This historic legislation will end taxpayer funded bailouts, prevent companies from becoming ‘too big to fail’ and create a much-needed consumer protection agency.  For years, Wall Street executives operated without proper oversight and their reckless and irresponsible behavior helped cause our nation’s financial crisis. This legislation sends a clear signal: the days of Wall Street acting like a financial Wild West are officially over.”

SEIA - Solar Industry on FERC Calif FiT Ruling

Solar industry will work with Congress to clarify state feed-in tariff authority

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch today released the following statement on yesterday’s decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that preempts the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) feed-in tariff for combined heat and power generating facilities of 20 megawatts (MW) or less.

“The Commission’s order will make it considerably more difficult for states to implement feed-in tariffs, an increasingly popular policy used by states to promote solar deployment. Typically, a feed–in tariff requires utilities to purchase renewable power at a set price through long-term contracts. This policy has been widely used in Europe and is a very effective means of encouraging the development and production of renewable energy because of the financial certainty it provides.

“Many States, including California, are taking the steps necessary to decrease our use of polluting energy sources and these efforts should not be frustrated by federal regulation. We will continue to work with Congress to clarify that states have the authority to establish a feed-in tariff to help deploy more clean, safe solar energy.

“We are pleased that the comprehensive climate and energy bill passed by the House last year, H.R.2454, includes a provision authored by Representatives Kathy Castor (D-11th FL) and Jay Inslee (D-1st WA) that assures state authority to implement feed-in tariffs. We are working with the Senate to include such a provision in S.1462, the Senate energy bill. We also encourage FERC to reconsider its ruling should an appropriate and timely request for rehearing be filed with the Commission.” 



CEI Weekly: The Lady Gaga Economy

CEI Weekly

July 16, 2010 

>>The Lady Gaga Economy
Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews, inspired by the seeming boundless demand for performances by flamboyant pop star Lady Gaga, meditates on "Say's Law" in economics and what it has to teach us about the current recession. Wayne reminds us that the state of the economy is not the result of a general glut of overproduction – too much stuff for sale and not enough buyers – but of a relative glut in particular sectors of the economy. While there may be too many cars for sale, the demand for concerts, music videos, and merchandise from our most popular entertainers surges ahead unabated. Thus, what we need is not a general demand-side stimulus, but a retrenchment of government policies and preferences that keep the market from re-balancing itself. Tax cuts, deregulation, privatization, and the elimination of other government distortions are the strategies that will allow the U.S. economy to expand and flourish again.
Read Crews' article here.

>>Shaping the Debate 

Statement by John Berlau on Passage of Dodd-Frank Financial Regulation Bill

Florida's Reedy Creek Improvement District

Arin Greenwood's Issue Analysis

Cell Phones Don't Cause Cancer

Ryan Young's op-ed in The Daily Caller

With Debt, Deficit Come More Red Tape

Clyde Wayne Crews' citation in The Washington Examiner

Teaching 'stuff' about ecology

Lee Doren's citation in The Los Angeles Times

CEI's Myron Ebell Says "Professional Whitewash" of Climategate Will Not Succeed

Myron Ebell's citation in The American Spectator 

>>Best of the Blogs

Mommy, Are We Beyond Petroleum Yet?

By Marlo Lewis Jr.

Federal Alcohol Bill Hits a Snag

By Angela Logomasini

>>LibertyWeek Podcast

Episode 101: Urban Beekeepers Unite

Richard Morrison and Marc Scribner welcome back long-lost co-host Michelle Minton to episode 101. We discuss the sobering recommendations of the White House debt commission, the intoxicating budgetary success of Chris Christie in New Jersey, the bunker mentality of UN climate scientists, the travails of urban homesteaders and the birth of scandal-based tourism.

 >>Support CEI

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OFA-NH Director Tim Arsenault on the Historic Passage of Wall Street Reform

Concord – Organizing for America-New Hampshire State Director Tim Arsenault released the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s passage of Wall Street Reform today:

“With today’s historic passage of Wall Street Reform, the U.S. Senate and congressional Democrats voted to put Main Street before Wall Street and ensured that Americans will be protected from future economic disasters similar to the one that nearly saw the collapse of our economy less than two years ago.

“Thanks to the vision and courage of President Obama and congressional Democrats Wall Street will now be held accountable for their actions and there will be greater protections for American families, small businesses, community banks and shareholders.

“The passage of Wall Street reform means that another essential element of America’s economic recovery is now in place. President Obama and congressional Democrats vowed to protect the interest of the American people and with this bill they have done just that. By overcoming the opposition of the big banks and their Republican allies congressional Democrats have stood up and said unequivocally that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

“The significance of this bill cannot be understated. President Obama and congressional Democrats have not only passed the most significant and meaningful Wall Street Reform since the 1930’s but they have ushered in a new era of accountability and responsibility that will protect American families from Wall Street’s risky and irresponsible practices. While there is still more work to do to ensure our country’s recovery is sustained I am proud to join the people of New Hampshire in applauding President Obama and congressional Democrats for passing such an important and momentous bill.”