Raul Ruiz Blasts GOP Colleagues For Undermining EPA’s Ability To ‘Protect The Public’s Health’

5 months ago

During a House Energy Committee hearing last week, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) questioned EPA Administrator Michael Regan about improving air quality.

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Transcript

00:00recognizes the gentleman from California, Dr. Ruiz. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And Mr. Reagan,

00:06thank you for joining us today and for your dedication to improving air quality,

00:10expanding clean water access, and promoting environmental conservation.

00:15These are three initiatives that greatly impact the people I represent. And I'm going to speak

00:22about them and ask you questions about them. First, in terms of air pollution, my district

00:28consistently gets F grades by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for their air quality.

00:36And we have the highest rates of asthma in the entire state of California. And in March 2024,

00:44the EP announced a rule to strengthen air quality standards, lowering the particular

00:48matter threshold from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter. This adjustment will significantly

00:55reduce the harmful impacts of fine particulates in the air. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues

01:00seek to impede the progress and undermine the agency's ability to protect the public's health.

01:06Can you speak to the projected public health benefits of the stronger standard and how it

01:10can help our communities, specifically our most vulnerable members? Absolutely. And thank you for

01:15your leadership on this issue and for your advocacy for proper monitoring and programs for your

01:23district. The new standard will absolutely save lives and avoid illnesses, preventing up to 4,500

01:30premature deaths and 290,000 lost work days. We know that that number disproportionately impacts

01:38some segments of the population. And so we have designed a public health standard that we believe

01:45is most protective of those who are most vulnerable. But it also yields $46 billion in net

01:50health benefits by the year 2032. And the thing that's really impressive is for every dollar spent

01:56from this action, there could be as much as $77 in human health benefits through the duration of

02:02this rule. So it is focused on public health for everyone, but especially those who have been

02:07disproportionately impacted. Thank you. Secondly, over the past decade, my district has consistently

02:12been categorized by the EPA as a non-attainment due to unhealthy air quality exceeding the 2012

02:18standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meters. Could you highlight the tools that the EPA is using to

02:23help underserved rural and minority communities like mine reduce their pollution levels and come

02:29into attainment? Well, absolutely. Number one is we are trying to up our game in the monitoring

02:34of these areas to be sure that we have our finger on the pulse, which I believe we do.

02:39And secondly, there are a lot of technical assistance grants and opportunities that we're

02:44deploying at the local level so that we can see local innovation and creativity match with state

02:50and federal obligations. When you look at what can be done at a local level in a unique way, but also

02:57if you add some of the federal regulations that we are doing to rain and tailpipe emissions, to look

03:03at fugitive emissions and others, we believe that cumulatively that will help those communities.

03:07Okay. And thirdly, the residents in my district have struggled with getting access to clean

03:13water. For years, I've collaborated closely with the EPA to improve the water supply at the Oasis

03:18Mobile Home Park, where residents face toxic high arsenic levels in their water supply. And since

03:26at least 2019, the Oasis Mobile Home Park has faced recurring water issues. The EPA has issued emergency

03:32orders that year due to arsenic levels in the water system being up to nine times the maximum

03:38containment level, with two more orders following since then. Could you highlight the steps the EPA

03:44is taking to address arsenic in underserved communities like Oasis? Well, absolutely. And

03:49no community should have to face what Oasis is facing. And so we've been taking action.

03:54As you know, EPA and DOJ filed a complaint against these operators. We're hoping for

03:59an anticipated trial date as early as I believe next year. But we have assumed direct oversight

04:06of 20 water systems since 2020. And as of January 6th, have returned to compliance because of EPA's

04:14action. We're going to continue to focus on those 14 that are left. But rest assured, the Department

04:20of Justice and EPA plan to hold Oasis accountable for this travesty and ensure that we try to make

04:26that community as whole as possible. I hope so. A 17-year-old young man died of renal cancer, which is

04:34a possibility of arsenic consumption, chronic high loads of arsenic consumption,

04:42and no other risk factors from Oasis Mobile Home Park. Lastly, the Colorado River Basin,

04:49which supplies water to over 40 million people in major U.S. cities, is experiencing its driest

04:54period in over 1,000 years. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law,

05:00the administration was able to allocate $15.4 billion for western water resources to bolster

05:06drought resilience. Could you highlight how EPA funds such as these will properly allocate and

05:13distribute to advance the conservation efforts in the region? Well, absolutely. First, we're working

05:18closely with the White House, Reclamation, and other agencies to be sure that we're leveraging

05:22every single dollar. We have highlighted drought resilience, eligibilities, and priorities in the

05:28implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law, and in particular, our drinking water state

05:33revolving loan fund has delivered more than $2.5 billion to the basin states for drought resilience

05:38and other critical water infrastructure. So, we've not only prioritized it in terms of EPA's goals,

05:43but also ensuring that from an interagency standpoint, we're doing the same thing.

05:47Thank you. Yield back.

Raul Ruiz Blasts GOP Colleagues For Undermining EPA’s Ability To ‘Protect The Public’s Health’

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