Environment and Energy

Today, Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced its decision to rollback 68 offshore oil drilling safety requirements imposed after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, including weakening standards for well blowout preventers and reducing real-time well monitoring requirements: “Time and time again we’ve seen oil and gas corporations sacrifice safety at the expense of worker safety, local economies, and our environment, in... Read more

Today, Rep. Carbajal (CA-24) released the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), analyzing proposals for hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, to increase oil and gas development on California’s public lands: “The Central Coast is already facing grave impacts from climate change, including rising sea levels, drought, and a nearly year-round fire season. The administration’s plan to open public lands to fracking an... Read more

Today, Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) reintroduced H.R. 2199, the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which would designate nearly 250,000 acres of public land in the Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument as wilderness. The legislation also establishes a 400-mile long Condor National Recreation trail, stretching from Los Angeles to Monterey County. Representatives Julia Brownley (CA-26), Katie Hill (CA-25), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), who ... Read more

Saturday, April 6th, Rep. Carbajal will lead a community hike in the Los Padres National Forest to discuss the introduction of the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, his legislation to expand wilderness protections on the Central Coast. WHO: YOU Rep. Salud Carbajal Central Coast Wild Heritage Coalition Los Padres ForestWatch CalWild The Wilderness Society Keep Sespe Wild Condor Trail Association Sierra Club Vets Voice Foundation WHAT: Community Hike with Rep. Carbajal WHEN: April 6that 1:30... Read more

Today, Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Vice Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, chaired the Committee’s first climate change-focused hearing of the 116th Congress titled: “Examining How Federal Infrastructure Policy Could Help Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change.” The hearing explored the transportation sector’s role in climate change and engaged individuals in the public and private sectors who have demonstrated pragmatic solutions for reducing carbon emissions and bui... Read more

Washington, DC – Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) announced the passage of new federal funding for water projects on the Central Coast included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Appropriations Act (H.R. 5895). The bill includes investments in the Cachuma Water Project, and will help fund necessary dredging in the Morro Bay Harbor and the Santa Barbara Harbor. The spending bill was signed into law by the President on Friday. “The Morro Bay and Santa Barbara Harbors are both significant e... Read more

San Luis Obispo, CA – Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) announced today that Congress has directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to study public and private funding sources available to decommissioning nuclear powerplants, including the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The report was included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 5895). “With the impending Diablo Canyon Power Plant closure, I am working t... Read more

Santa Barbara, CA – Today, following the Trump Administration’s announcement that it will seek to rollback current fuel economy and emissions standards and nullify California’s waiver, Congressman Carbajal (CA-24) joined Rep. Mark Desaulnier (CA-11) and 59 Members of Congress in announcing a resolution, H.Con.Res 130, to oppose the move. “We cannot allow an Administration that is unwilling to accept the realities of climate change roll back the progress our state has made to improve public healt... Read more

On Saturday, Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and national marine sanctuary staff took 22 Central Coast veterans out for a “Vet into Your Sanctuary” Cruise aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel Shearwater. National marine sanctuaries are premiere destinations for people to recreate responsibly, enjoy the ocean’s beauty, and be inspired by meaningful marine conservation. The public are invited to “Get into Your Sanctuary” on August 4-5 and discover the recre... Read more

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) requested that the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provide an explanation as to why the agency has failed to enact several long overdue gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety improvements. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Inspector General found that as of October 2016, PHMSA has failed to implement 20 of 81 directives required by law, including eight pipeline safety rulem... Read more