10/15/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2021 16:16
Washington, D.C. - The Natural Resources Committee is holding three livestreamed events next week.
MONDAY, OCT. 18
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations & Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led by Chair Katie Porter (D-Calif.), and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, led by Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), will hold a joint oversight field hearing titled, Southern California Oil Leak: Investigating the Immediate Effects on Communities, Businesses, and the Environment. The field hearing will be held at the Irvine Ranch Water District in Irvine, Calif.
Earlier this month, a nearly 18-mile-long offshore pipeline owned by Amplify Energy released thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Huntington Beach, Calif. The disaster created a 13-square-mile toxic oil slick on the ocean's surface and has caused lasting damage to the area's economy, wildlife and ecology, and the wellbeing of residents. The beach and its waters were closed for more than a week and major tourist events were cancelled.
Offshore oil and gas drilling poses significant risks. When fossil fuel companies fail to mitigate these risks, the consequences and costs of their actions often fall on the American people. This hearing will feature testimony from community members whose lives have been adversely affected by the spill.
Witnesses
When: 9:00 a.m. Pacific time
Watch Live: https://youtu.be/0nGUyjRhXAI
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 20
Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife
The Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, led by Chair Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), will hold an oversight hearing titled, Colorado River Drought Conditions and Response Measures - Day Two. This will be the second session of a two-part hearing. The recording of the first session, which was held Friday, Oct. 15, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, is available to view here: https://naturalresources.house.gov/hearings/colorado-river-drought-conditions-and-response-measures_day-one
Climate change and severe drought in the Colorado River Basin threaten water supplies for 40 million people in the Southwest. The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan authorized by Congress in 2019 is helping mitigate some drought impacts until its expiration in 2026, but additional response measures are needed to strengthen climate resilience for communities across the Southwest.
Witnesses
When: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time
Watch Live: https://youtu.be/EjGvvhdWL8I
THURSDAY, OCT. 21
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led by Chair Katie Porter (D-Calif.), will hold an oversight hearing titled, Runit Dome and the U.S Nuclear Legacy in the Marshall Islands.
From 1946 to 1958, the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands, with an explosive yield equivalent to 1.6 Hiroshima-sized bombs every day for 12 years. At the time, the U.S. administered the Marshall Islands in a United Nations Trust, with absolute responsibility for the health and welfare of the Marshallese people. The U.S. has never apologized to the Marshallese, and claims paid out under a settlement agreement amounted to less than 10% of total damages.
This hearing will focus on environmental monitoring programs at Runit Dome, a containment facility for nuclear waste at the former nuclear test site on Enewetak Atoll. The Department of Energy has failed to comply with environmental testing requirements under the 2011 Insular Affairs Act, citing a variety of reasons including a lack of funding from the Department of the Interior, and legal advice provided by the Department of State. The subcommittee will hear testimony on environmental monitoring at Runit Dome from multiple agencies and from expert witnesses on the connection between this issue, the wider U.S. nuclear legacy, and the U.S.-Marshallese relationship.
Witnesses
Panel I: Administrative Panel
Panel II: Expert Witness Panel
When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time
Watch Live: https://youtu.be/RUrTu7Z0Q1E
Media Contact: David Shen
(202) 225-6065 or (202) 860-6494 mobile