DC Hill Update 5/17/10: American Power Act released, Murkowski Dirty Air Act vote this week

Last week was a busy one for climate and energy legislation on Capital Hill. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) finally unveiled the climate and energy bill they've been working on for the last several months with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who did not join them for the bill's release.

Meanwhile, Senator Murkowski (R-AK) plans on releasing her "Dirty Air Act" for a vote in the Senate, which could shut down greenhouse gas regulations being developed by the Obama Administration.

The American Power Act Unveiled

Senators Kerry and Lieberman finally introduced their climate and energy bill last Wednesday without Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Here is our reaction and our preliminary analysis of the Kerry-Lieberman "American Power Act." Kerry spoke directly to progressives about his bill in a piece he wrote for Grist, including an admission that

The bill preserves key Clean Air Act tools for sources not in the program, and it calls on EPA to continue setting tough emission standards to reduce global-warming pollution from cars and trucks. It also continues EPA's ability to set performance standards for old, dirty power plants to make sure they clean up.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), a fierce opponent of offshore drilling, announced his opposition to the bill, because it doesn’t offer his state enough protection from new Atlantic coast drilling.

Murkowski's "Dirty Air Act" Coming to the Senate Floor THIS WEEK!

Months ago, Senator Murkowski introduced an extreme piece of legislation that would scrap the science-based "endangerment" finding allowing the EPA to use the Clean Air Act to begin regulating greenhouse gasses. Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act should come to a vote this week -- just days after EPA officials finalized their "big polluters" rule, outlining measures that will be taken to reduce carbon emissions from large emitters of carbon pollution like coal plants, oil refineries, and some industrial facilities.

NRDC has a great post summarizing the new common-sense regulations for big polluters under the Clean Air Act.

1Sky is mobilizing its networks throughout the week. To make a call to your Senator now go to http://www.1sky.org/calls and to send a message with one click go to http://www.1sky.org/murkowski. For more information on the Dirty Air Act, check out USCAN's site: here

Drilling Disaster Continues to Ravage the Gulf

Massive quantities of oil continue leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. VIDEO: here. BP officials and others were called to Capitol Hill last week for questioning, and are still not providing accurate information about the magnitude of oil spewing into the Gulf. So far, attempts to stop the spill with a "containment dome" have failed. BP has a number of similarly rudimentary strategies lined up, including a "top hat," and "junk shot;" read more here. This weekend, scientists found giant plumes of oil in the deep waters of the Gulf, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick. The effects on impacted marine life are likely to be devastating.

Prepared by 1Sky Policy Coordinator Jason Kowalski. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.