Hill Heat

Subcommittee hearing.

• Susanne M. Brander, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oregon State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
• Sherri A. “Sam” Mason, Ph.D., Director of Sustainability, Penn State Behrend
• Brent Alspach, P.E., Vice President & Director of Applied Research, Arcadis

As an ecotoxicologist, Susanne M. Brander’s research integrates the responses of aquatic organisms to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other environmental stressors, such as microplastics, across the biological hierarchy. He group focuses on discerning mechanisms of toxicity and linking the results of laboratory experiments to ecosystem responses. Current work examines the impact of EDCs on gene expression, development, reproductive behavior, sex ratio and population dynamics across multiple generations, with an emphasis on exposure during early life. Specific compounds of concern include endocrine active pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Sherri A. Mason holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Montana and is a leading researcher in freshwater plastic pollution. Her award-winning work has drawn international attention to the threats posed by microplastics and led to the passage of national measures banning microbeads. She currently serves as Associate Research Professor and Director of Sustainability at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

Brent Alspach is an Associate Vice President with Arcadis and serves as the company’s Director of Applied Research. He is an internationally recognized authority on membrane filtration and desalination processes. He has conducted seawater desalination planning studies and concept design for facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Mexico.

Business meeting agenda:

• S. 1863, PROVE IT Act of 2023, to instruct the Department of Energy (DOE) to undertake a thorough examination, comparing the greenhouse pollution of specific goods (metals, cement, plastics, oil, natural gas, batteries, paper, solar cells, uranium, wind turbines) manufactured in the United States to the pollution generated by the same goods manufactured in other countries. Co-sponsored by Coons and Cramer
• S. 2781, Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2023, to allow the EPA to issue permits to allow third parties to remediate historic mine residue at abandoned hardrock mine sites they are not responsible for without being subject to enforcement or liability under specified environmental laws for past, present, or future releases, threats of releases, or discharges of hazardous substances or other contaminants at or from the abandoned mine site.
• S. 3412, Reuben E. Lawson Federal Building Act of 2023, a bill to redesignate the Richard H. Poff Federal Building located at 210 Franklin Road Southwest in Roanoke, Virginia, as the “Reuben E. Lawson Federal Building,” and for other purposes
• S. 3570, A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 500 West Pike Street in Clarksburg, West Virginia, as the “Irene M. Keeley United States Courthouse,” and for other purposes
• S. 3577, A bill to designate the Federal building located at 300 E. 3rd Street in North Platte, Nebraska, as the “Virginia Smith Federal Building,” and for other purposes

Subcommittee hearing on “Evaluating Material Alternatives for Single-Use Plastics”.

Witnesses:

• Marcus Eriksen, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Executive Director, The 5 Gyres Institute, Leap Lab
• Erin Simon, Vice President, Plastic Waste + Business, World Wildlife Fund
• Humberto Kravetz, Founder and CEO, GSF Upcycling

Subcommittee hearing on plastics.

Witnesses:

• Susan Collins, President, Container Recycling Institute
• Jules Bailey, President & CEO, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative
• Steve Alexander, President & CEO, Association of Plastic Recyclers

Leaders from the environmental organizations Beyond Plastics, Beyond Petrochemicals, River Valley Organizing, Hip Hop Caucus, Moms Clean Air Force, Plastic Free Future, Greenpeace, and others, are delivering a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., calling for a ban on vinyl chloride before any more harm is done to communities like East Palestine, Ohio.

Speakers:

• Heather McTeer Toney, Beyond Petrochemicals
• Daniel Winston, River Valley Organizing
• Almeta Cooper, Moms Clean Air Force
• Chris Walton, Hip Hop Caucus
• Charlie Cray, Greenpeace
• Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics
• Jessica Conard

Location: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Subcommittee hearing on single-use waste. Part of a series of hearings on the plastics industry.

Witnesses:

• Dacie Meng, Policy and Institutions Senior Manager (North America), Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Clemence Schmid, General Manager, Loop Global
• Tim Debus, President & CEO, Reusable Packaging Association

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) presents findings of the new report from the Mindaroo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Public Health.

Please join for a briefing to review the findings of the new report on the impacts of plastics on human health. The authors of the report will describe the health and environmental implications of plastic at every stage of its lifecycle, including recommendations for the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty.

Thursday, April 27th, 2:00pm ET 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

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On Earth Day 2023, we declare the era of fossil fuels OVER.

Humanity is at a crossroads. Now is when we decide how we want to go on as a civilization. Will we create a livable, just, equitable future for everyone? Or will we let present and future generations live with chaos and destruction? The planet’s life supporting systems are disintegrating, and our environment needs to be restored.

Our biggest challenge is ending our reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy. To secure a livable future, we cannot afford new fossil fuel projects. We need the U.S. government in particular to say NO to fossil fuels. Our planet is on fire, and we can’t feed this fire any longer.

We come from all different backgrounds, fighting for a huge variety of intersecting causes. From plastics and biodiversity, to housing, anti-war, immigrant rights and gender and racial equality—our crises are interconnected, and our movement is stronger together.

To make the biggest difference, we need not just individual actions, but system change like we’ve never seen before.

This April we come together, fighting for climate justice and real change from decision-makers. We are demanding the federal government and other decision-makers end the era of fossil fuels to protect people and the planet.

2023 will be the most critical year yet for action on climate. It will be one of our last chances to mitigate the interlocking crises we face. We are fighting for a systemic change—and it can begin with you. There’s no time to waste.

12 noon – Youth-led rally in Freedom Plaza

Join us at 12 noon for a youth-led (but everybody included!) rally in Freedom Plaza. This one-hour rally will feature voices of young people from around DC and across the country, front line leaders fighting the worst impacts of climate change, and music from the Too Much Talent Band.

1pm – March to the White House

At 1pm we’re taking to the streets and marching to the White House to demand that President Biden take bold action to follow through with his promises to End the Era of Fossil Fuels! The full march is about 1 mile and we will be stopping to make some noise and hold a brief program on Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White House

3pm – Earth Day Organizing Fair

This year’s Earth Day mobilization will be a powerful moment, we know that this is only the beginning. Join us for an organizing fair in Freedom Plaza, from 3-5pm on April 22nd to get connected and make plans to continue the work going forward. Organizational partners are making plans to hold climate cafe’s, participatory art projects, teach-ins, dance parties and other activities.

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Hearing page

When it comes to reducing waste, we were taught the three Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle; however, the reality for plastics is the three Bs: buried, burned, or borne out to sea,” said Sen. Merkley. “My Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act is a comprehensive plan to reduce plastic production, improve our recycling systems, and protect frontline communities. It’s not just enough for us to curb our own individual plastic use, we must take action at the federal and international level to solve this environmental and public health crisis.”

Recent polling shows that two-thirds of Americans believe that businesses that produce or use plastics in their products should pay for collecting, sorting, and recycling plastics; 86 percent of Americans support requiring new plastic to contain at least some recycled material; and 80 percent of Americans support phasing out certain non-recyclable plastics altogether.

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act — led by Sen. Merkley and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) — would reduce plastic production, increase recycling, and protect frontline communities from the burden of toxic emissions from plastic waste by changing the incentives of the industry. The bill would shift the burden of cleanup to the corporations that produced the plastics so they have financial motivation to end the burning and dumping; strengthening environmental justice protections; eliminating waste export loopholes; and extending across the nation existing laws that have been proven to work on the state and local level, among other steps.

Witnesses:

• John Peterson “Pete” Myers, Ph.D., Founder, CEO & Chief Scientist, Environmental Health Sciences
• Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics
• Matt Seaholm, CEO, Plastics Industry Association
• Eric Hartz, Co-Founder & President, Nexus Circular

Hearing page

Witnesses:

• Rep. Steve Cohen: U.S. Capitol ban on single-use plastics
• Rep. Derek Kilmer: modernization and staff tuition support
• Rep. Andy Levin: staff unionization
• Rep. Seth Moulton: intern pay
• Rep. Mike Quigley: public access to Congressional Research Service reports
• Diane M. Rodriguez, President, American Association of Law Libraries; GPO and Library of Congress budget request
• Rep. William R. Timmons: bipartisan co-working spaces