Protecting the Environment
"Climate change is real and has serious consequences for our economy, our livelihoods, and our health. You don't have to go any further than communities across Vermont to hear about its early impacts. Just ask the businesses and families wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene. Ask ski lift operators worried about losing their jobs as the season shortens. Or ask sugar makers who are coping with uncertainty over when the season will start and how long it will last. This is a problem that can be solved. If we ignore the costs of carbon pollution, we will lose to other countries America’s advantage in developing the clean energy technologies of the future."
Spotlight on the Environment
Rep. Welch is a leader in the House on initiatives to tackle climate change and protect our environment. As a member of the Safe Climate Caucus and House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, he has taken on climate change skeptics and helped defeat efforts to handcuff the Environmental Protection Agency and gut landmark environmental laws and initiatives such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He is the House leader on energy efficiency, a vocal opponent of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, and a strong supporter of a cap and trade system to check carbon emissions.
More on Protecting the Environment
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Wednesday that Congress passed legislation that opens the door for Vermont to receive federal funds to repair three aging flood control dams. The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 includes an amendment authored by Sanders in the Senate and Welch in the House that authorizes safety improvements at certain state-owned flood control dams constructed by the federal government before 1940.
Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Steve Womack (R-Ark) released the following statement on President Trump’s proposal to lift a federal ban on summer sales of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol:
BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 7 – Vermont’s congressional delegation announced on Tuesday a combined $18.97 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Vermont’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
The CWSRF program is a federal-state partnership that provides communities a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects. The DWSRF is a federal-state partnership to help ensure safe drinking water.
Burlington, Vt. – Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s proposal to gut longstanding federal policy that reduces vehicle emissions harmful to the environment and block Vermont and other states from imposing emission standards stricter than the federal government:
WASHINGTON – Late last evening, the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan amendment authored by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to appropriate $8.4 million in fiscal year 2019 for the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP). The House Appropriations Committee had recommended a funding level of just $4.4 million.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued the following statement in reaction to the resignation this afternoon of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt:
“It’s about time. Pruitt’s tenure has been an abomination. His legacy will be one of arrogance, misuse of taxpayer funds, and dismantlement of EPA’s core mission to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink.”
Rep. Welch called for Pruitt’s resignation on April 18, 2018. He is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
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WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following joint statement on a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, required by Congress, documenting the adverse environmental impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS):
BURLINGTON, Vt. – This morning at Burlington’s City Market electric vehicle charging station on Flynn Avenue, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) unveiled legislation he authored to make electric vehicles more affordable, easier to purchase, and easier to charge.
WASHINGTON – Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced a congressional resolution designating the week of June 11 through June 15, 2018 as “High Performance Building Week.” The resolution recognizes that high performance buildings promote water and energy efficiency, protecting natural resources and reducing costs for building occupants.
Late yesterday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation authorizing Army Corps of Engineer dam and water projects around the country.
Included in the bill at the request of Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) were two Welch-authored provisions to shore up aging dams around the country. The aging Waterbury Dam in Waterbury, VT would be eligible for refurbishment using these new funds.