Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010

Floor Speech

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Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate amendments to H.R. 5809, the Senate version of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010. As author of H.R. 6482, the House companion to the Senate bill, S. 3973, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

I would argue that this legislation was not just brought up in the lame duck session. In fact, I have staff members here who worked a great deal of time with the Energy and Commerce Committee to bring forward this very thoughtful legislation. What this legislation will do is create jobs, save lives, and significantly improve the Nation's air quality system.

I wish to thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey and their staffs for their support and everything they have done to make it possible to bring this bill to the floor. It is important. People's health is important, even today in a lame duck session. I also appreciate the efforts of Senator Voinovich and Senator Carper in shepherding this bill through the Senate.

This legislation reauthorizes and extends DERA for an additional 5 years and includes several important modifications to expand the program and increase eligibility. DERA has proven to be successful, and this is why we are bringing this bill forward today, in reducing diesel emissions by upgrading and modernizing older diesel engines and equipment.

You might ask: Why is this important to me in my particular district and in California and in the Nation? Well, I'll tell you why. Our district is home to the two busiest container ports in the United States: the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. On average, 35,000 trucks commute to and from the ports daily, and by the year 2030 this number is expected to triple.

Those living along freight corridors in my district are already suffering from asthma and cancer rates far above the national average. Air quality improvement and reductions in emissions are vital to the quality of life and health for those who live along the goods movement corridors.

The immediate and long-term benefits of passing the DERA 2010 Act are substantial, both in my district and in the Nation. Additionally, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 provides economic incentives that all of our State and local governments need right now, with their private fleets that contract with State and local governments, to decrease emissions still while maintaining and expanding their levels of service.

Since DERA was funded back in 2007, more than 3,000 projects nationwide have benefited from this very program. The EPA has estimated that the program averages more than $13 in savings, yes, savings, in health and economic benefits for every $1 in funding, and this reauthorization even further emphasizes cost-effective programs. Moreover, projections estimate that nearly 2,000 lives will be saved by 2017 in direct relation to DERA's impact on air quality.

This legislation has been endorsed by leading environmental, health, and transportation organizations who have argued that DERA is an effective program that protects and creates American jobs.

I would like to include in the Record a letter supporting this legislation signed by over 500 leading environmental, health, and transportation organizations and companies.

Members in both Chambers and on both sides of the aisle have embraced this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it again today.

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