Stefanik on invasives, EPA carbon limits, and her environmental record
North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has received mixed reviews from green groups on her environmental record. She bucked the mainstream of...
Jun 14, 2016 — North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has received mixed reviews from green groups on her environmental record. She bucked the mainstream of her party by saying Congress should take climate change seriously and supports legislation that would come up with a plan for reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
But she voted to block an effort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce emissions from power plants. Power plants in the Midwest are known to cause acid rain and mercury pollution in the Adirondacks.
Stefanik's latest effort is to use the mail to raise money to fight invasive species. She is cosponsor of a bill that would create an invasive species postage stamp. It would cost more than a regular stamp. Sales would help fund federal programs that try to curb the spread of invasive species. The plan is modeled on a similar stamp for breast cancer research.
Stefanik spoke with David Sommerstein about environmental issues:
David Sommerstein: How did you choose this approach to deal with invasive species, creating a postage stamp. Why not create new programs or reinforce funding for programs that already fight invasive species?
Rep. Elise Stefanik: We can do both. This is one of the efforts. The idea for the Stamp Out Invasive Species Actcame from a roundtbale that I hosted in Clayton, and it was suggestion by one of the former town supervisors in the Adirondacks from Warren County, who really led the effort in combating invasive species in Lake George, which is now a county-wide initiative. I am supportive of multiple efforts, whether it’s at the state level–I am supportive of the governor’s memorandum of understanding to combat invasive species and the funding that goes along with it. But this is a creative way to raise awareness about the issue, but also a creative way to fund programs to combat invasive species.
DS: So, what would the stamp look like? We have a picture of a sea lamprey on it, or an Asian horned beetle on it or something?
ES: Actually the stamp, the detail on the stamp is up for discussion. The bill does not include what has to be, what species is on the stamp. We have gotten tremendous support from the delegation of upstate New York on a bipartisan basis. But I have also gotten support from other members of congress from other states who understand that invasive species are in every congressional district across this country. The reason why New York is so important is often times we are the gateway, unfortunately, of aquatic invasive species. And a lot of that stems from the fact that we are the gateway for significant amounts of trade, whether it is along the Hudson River or the Saint Lawrence River.
DS: There is a piece of legislation in the Defense Authorization Bill that would sort of change the way the ballast water is regulated in places like the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, discharges of ballast water. And I know you have said that you are against that making it to the final bill. Could you update us on that?
ES: Absolutely. So I am against that amendment being included in the final bill. It is currently not included in the Senate bill, and as we negotiate the National Defense Authorization Act, the House and Senate Conference Committee gets together, and this is one of the issues that I have spoken to my colleagues about. We have reached out to my Senate counterparts to ensure that they understand that this would not be helpful to the St. Lawrence River. I offered an amendment to strip the language. It was ruled out of order by the rules committee, but we are still working on taking the VIDA Amendment out of the National Defense Authorization Act. And it is particularly relevant in this district because the St. Lawrence River, in terms of both the U.S. side and the Canadian side, have led the effort in tackling the issue of ballast water, which of course is tied to the increase of invasive species.
DS: You have been talking about these environmental issues, and one of the big issues in the Adirondacks has been deposition, has been acid rain and mercury deposition that come from power plants in the Midwest, and you voted last year for a bill that delayed stricter controls on emissions from power plants in the Midwest, and I am wondering why did you think that that was the right vote for your district?
ES: Well first of all, I have been on record, and I am the original cosponsor of a bill that Republicans have put forward that was sponsored by Chris Gibson that calls for the House to commit to working on economically-viable solutions that address the threat of climate change. So I have been independent from some of the members of my party, putting this district first. I think it is very important that we solve the climate change issue while also protecting our domestic manufacturing economy, and also ensuring that we continue to have affordable energy for families across the North Country and throughout the entire United States. In terms of the Clean Power Plan Vote, this was an executive overreach by the president, and I think any solution regarding climate change must be pursued legislatively.
DS: But just to be clear, the EPA vote was related to reducing emissions from power plants, not from manufacturers, like small manufacturers in the Adirondacks.
ES: In terms of the Clean Power Plan, that was not negotiated with Congress, that was an executive action by the administration. I am part of the conversation to find a solution to this. New York is obviously a leader when it comes to reduction in carbon emissions, and I think New York needs to continue that work forward, but we need to do so as a country that does not gut out manufacturing and our economic growth.
