Issue Position: Environment

Issue Position

Introduction

Environmental conditions are an element of equity that is too often overlooked. Low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of the hazards created by air and water pollution, lack of access to open space, and extreme weather. At the same time, every community in the 7th District is struggling to deal with the increasingly pronounced impact of climate change, including flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures.

Without proactive steps, the environmental challenges facing our district will only intensify. Within the current century, global sea levels are expected to rise between two and six feet,[1] threatening parts of Chelsea, Everett, Winthrop, Cambridge, East Boston, Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, Roxbury, the South End, and other neighborhoods with persistent flooding, impaired water supplies, and building damage.[2] As the climate continues to shift and temperatures continue to rise, "urban heat islands" like Boston will experience more sustained, dangerous heat waves. Too many residents continue to be exposed to dangerous levels of pollution in their air, water, and homes.

Environmental conditions do not exist in a silo - they are critical determinants of public health outcomes, educational attainment, and economic opportunity. For example, seniors, especially those in low-income communities, are especially susceptible to health issues related to extreme hot and cold; children's development can be permanently affected by exposure to lead in their homes or drinking water; and more frequent extreme weather costs residents millions of dollar a year in property damages and other costs.

However, even as the challenges continue to mount, the Administration in Washington is rolling back critical environmental protections and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And policymakers too often fail to consider environmental factors when developing policies in related areas like housing, transportation, and economic development. The 7th District needs leadership in Washington that will not only resist efforts to undermine existing environmental protections, but who will work proactively to address environmental challenges, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and expand access to clean air, clean water, and green space.

Policy Priorities

Climate Readiness & Mitigation

Ensure community involvement in climate resilience planning. The federal government provides a range of resources that support state and local efforts to increase climate resilience. However, too often, communities of color and low-income communities - which often bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change - are overlooked during the planning process. In Congress, I would advocate for regulations that condition federal climate change resilience funding on clear plans for engaging low-income and minority communities in the planning and development process.
Advocate for reinstatement of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. Introduced by President Obama in 2015, the Clean Power Plan set "the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from U.S. power plants, the largest source of the pollution in the country that's driving dangerous climate change," according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Despite the importance of taking proactive steps to address climate change, President Trump's administration acted in 2017 to roll back the Clean Power Plan. In Congress, I would support efforts to codify the emissions framework put in place by the Clean Power Plan, and continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our energy grid. I would also advocate for legislation that codifies additional Obama-era regulations on polluting and carbon-intensive industries.
Support the comprehensive study of climate change. The Trump Administration has repeatedly sought significant cuts to the budget of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As climate change accelerates, these cuts threaten to undermine the agencies critical role in understanding and responding to the challenge. I would advocate for increased funding for the EPA and other agencies studying climate change (like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Department of the Interior). I also support expanding federal resources available for locally-driven research and projects undertaken by vulnerable states and municipalities to understand and develop solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.
Public Health

Create targeted funds for remediation of environmental injustice. In Congress, I will co-sponsor H.R. 270, which would allow organizations dedicated to fighting environmental injustice to receive a tax credit for up to 40% of their operating costs. I would also introduce legislation in the House of Representatives modeled on S. 1996, the Environmental Justice Act of 2017, which would mandate all federal agencies to address environmental injustice, codify previously rolled-back executive orders designed to protect vulnerable communities from pollution and exposure to toxics, and permanently codify the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council to make recommendations to the EPA and other regulating bodies on how best to remedy environmental injustice.[3]
Preserve health insurance protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and prioritize the cleanup of high pollution areas. Low income and minority communities are disproportionately home to brownfields, "Superfund sites," and other high-pollution areas, and exposure to harmful pollutants can cause a range of health challenges for residents. In the 7th Congressional District, communities including Chelsea, Boston, Everett, Somerville, and Cambridge are all home to brownfields. As the Trump Administration continues efforts to dismantle Obamacare, I will file legislation to ensure that health insurers provide adequate, affordable coverage for individuals and families dealing with adverse health effects as a result of exposure to harmful pollutants. I will also encourage the EPA to prioritize funding for the cleanup of brownfields and superfund sites in communities that are disproportionately impacted.
Support the Climate Change Health Promotion and Protection Act. Climate change presents a number of serious threats to public health, including longer heat waves, more frequent extreme weather, and decreased air quality. The Climate Change Health Promotion and Protection Act would put public health considerations at the forefront of our national response to climate change; introduced by Senator Ed Markey, the legislation would direct "the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategic action plan and program to assist health professionals in preparing for and responding to the public health effects of climate change."
Streamline data collection on environmental conditions and health outcomes. What gets measured gets done, and while there are many disparate sources of data at the federal level about environmental conditions and public health outcomes, streamlining these multiple data collection functions would meaningfully improve our ability to connect health outcomes to environmental hazards, and ensure that we design solutions that work for all of our communities.
Ensure access to healthy, just and sustainable food. Food policy - which has been a central element of my work on the Boston City Council - is inextricably linked to environmental policy, both in terms of promoting just and sustainable agricultural practices and ensuring that every resident of the 7th Congressional district has reliable access to healthy food that is free of potentially harmful pesticides and other chemicals. In Congress, I will support the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which leverages programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Treasury, and Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide financial support for the development of grocery stores and other healthy food options in underserved communities, and I will work with other legislators to expand support for sustainable farming practices, including through the federal Farm Bill.
Renewable Energy

Advocate for the significant expansion of renewable energy in our power grid. I support the rapid decarbonization of America's electrical grid. In Congress, I would introduce legislation aimed at achieving the goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2035. I will also push for the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords and commit to significant reductions in carbon emissions from our power grid, as well as other sources.
Support innovative clean energy solutions and a developed clean energy workforce. Clean energy is not only an environmental imperative - it has the potential to also be an economic driver, including for small and medium-sized businesses in the 7th Congressional District. In Congress, I would support the expansion of funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education in public schools, in order to provide students the skills they need to compete in an emerging clean energy workforce, and I would work to expand targeted financing programs for small businesses in underserved communities that are focused on the design and manufacture of clean energy products and components.
Protect and expand tax incentives for renewable energy purchasing. As global markets increasingly recognize the attractiveness of alternative energy, Congress must work to provide macro and micro-based incentives for the purchasing of renewable energy. On the Boston City Council, I supported the implementation of Community Choice Electricity, an initiative that will allow the City of Boston to choose a renewable energy provider for its municipal power generation.
Toxics

Empowering the EPA to regulate harmful pollutants. The Trump administration has shown open hostility towards the EPA - proposing significant cuts the agency and its workforce in both annual budgets released by the President. Along with eliminating funding for critical protection and restoration projects, such draconian cuts to the Agency threaten to undermine its ability to enforce laws and regulations related to pollution, and hold polluters accountable. In Congress, I will join other members of the Massachusetts delegation in an effort to empower the EPA to enforce existing regulations and create new regulations limiting use of and penalizing bad actors for releasing toxic waste into our water, air, and soil.
Mandating polluting industries to adopt stronger toxics use reduction policies. Hazardous chemicals and petroleum-based products pervade our everyday life in many ways. The Federal government should play an active role in encouraging the use of cleaner and safer materials. In Congress, I would co-sponsor H.R. 1524, the Superfund Polluter Pays Act, which would re-implement the Superfund tax to ensure that polluting industries bear the cleanup and remediation cost of communities impacted by the release of toxics.
Mass Transit & EVs

Expand and protect tax rebates for purchasing of electric vehicles. Electrical generation is merely one aspect of our carbon budget. Internal combustion vehicles represent a significant portion of America's carbon emissions. Much progress has been made in the infrastructure and efficiency of electric vehicles. In Congress, I will work to protect existing tax rebates for the purchasing of electric vehicles and will advocate for the expansion of these credits.
Provide tax incentives for production of electric and alternative fuel vehicles. In the same way that individual incentives for the purchasing of electric vehicles ought to be expanded, firms involved in the production and research of the next generation of electric vehicles should be incentivized to continue that research and development through tax credits and rebates.
Establish the Congressional Transportation Equity caucus to promote a regional approach to transportation planning. In Congress, I would sponsor legislation that creates a regional planning body for our district. A critical element of ensuring that all of our communities have access to safe, active modes of transportation is the development of synthesized and seamless network hubs, including regional rail rapid transit, subways, walking and biking infrastructure, and gold standard bus rapid transit (BRT) (e.g. dedicated right of way, busway alignment, off-board fare collection, intersection treatments, and platform level boarding). The creation of these modern mobility hubs requires ongoing, inclusive regional planning. This bill would also establishes a Congressional Transportation Equity caucus. This would create the forum for members of the House from urban, suburban, and rural communities to come together and work with local leaders to identify, coordinate and promote funding, land use, and transit service planning practices that emphasize equity and sustainability.
Support electrification of bus and rail systems. I will advocate for the expansion of programs like the Surface Transportation Block Grant, which "provides states with financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems," including the electrification of systems like the MBTA's bus and rail fleets, which reduces long-term costs and minimizes impact on the environment. Specifically, I would push for the prioritization of electrification efforts in low-income communities and communities of color, which are disproportionately dependent on public transit, but have previously been overlooked in transit improvement efforts.
Protecting Public Lands

Ensure that open and green space is equitably available. Extensive research has shown that low-income communities and communities of color often lack equitable access to parks and recreation areas, which presents a public health challenge and can contribute to negative outcomes like increased rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. In Congress, I would seek to ensure that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers equity in access to green space as a factor in the development of public housing,[4] and support programs that bring together federal, state, and local stakeholders to address access to green space in zoning decisions and development discussions.
Prohibit damaging resource extraction on federal lands. In Congress, I will co-sponsor the Keep it in the Ground Act of 2017 to end the issuance of new leases for fossil fuel extraction on federal lands, as well as leases for offshore drilling in critical marine environments. I would also work to expand protections to end the practice of resource extraction, generally, in federal wilderness areas and other protected lands. These protections are critical to curbing the effects of climate change, protecting coastal communities, and preserving precious natural spaces.
Respect tribal sovereignty and water rights. America's First Nations have seen their tribal sovereignty trampled on by the federal government time and time again. In Congress, I will work closely with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Interior Department, the State Department, and the EPA to ensure that the will of tribal nations is respected with regards to water rights, resource extraction, and new or existing energy infrastructure, like the Keystone XL pipeline.

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