THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT: EVALUATING PROGRESS AND PRIORITIES HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 Serial No. 113–3 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 78–821PDF WASHINGTON : 2013 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair DANA ROHRABACHER, California EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas RALPH M. HALL, Texas ZOE LOFGREN, California F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois Wisconsin DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas ERIC SWALWELL, California PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia DAN MAFFEI, New York STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi ALAN GRAYSON, Florida MO BROOKS, Alabama JOSEPH KENNEDY III, Massachusetts ANDY HARRIS, Maryland SCOTT PETERS, California RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois DEREK KILMER, Washington LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana AMI BERA, California STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas ELIZABETH ESTY, Connecticut BILL POSEY, Florida MARC VEASEY, Texas CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming JULIA BROWNLEY, California DAVID SCHWEIKERT, Arizona MARK TAKANO, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky VACANCY KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma RANDY WEBER, Texas CHRIS STEWART, Utah SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT HON. ANDY HARRIS, Maryland Chair CHRIS STEWART, Utah, SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., JULIA BROWNLEY, California Wisconsin DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland DANA ROHRABACHER, California MARC VEASEY, Texas RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas MARK TAKANO, California PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia ALAN GRAYSON, Florida RANDY WEBER, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas (II) C O N T E N T S Thursday, February 14, 2013 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Andy Harris, Chairman, Subcommittee on Envi- ronment, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................................... 5 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 6 Statement by Representative Suzanne Bonamici, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 7 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 9 Witnesses: The Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White, Distinguished Fellow-in-Residence & Director, Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment, Texas Public Policy Foundation Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 12 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 15 Mr. Richard Trzupek, Principal Consultant, Trinity Consulting Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 30 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 32 Dr. Bernard Goldstein, Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Pitts- burgh Graduate School of Public Health Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 83 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 86 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 101 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions The Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White, Distinguished Fellow-in-Residence & Director, Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment, Texas Public Policy Foundation ................................................................................................. 122 Mr. Richard Trzupek, Principal Consultant, Trinity Consulting ........................ 139 Dr. Bernard Goldstein, Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Pitts- burgh Graduate School of Public Health ........................................................... 161 Appendix II: Additional Material for the Record TEPA’s Pretense of Science: Regulating Phantom Risks submitted by The Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White .................................................................. 168 Memo, Re: Questionable Claims in Testimony from February 14, 2013 Envi- ronment Subcommittee hearing, submitted by Representative Suzanne Bonamici ............................................................................................................... 186 (III) THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT: EVALUATING PROGRESS AND PRIORITIES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Andy Harris [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. (1) 2 LAMAR S. SMITH, Texes EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER Q:ongress of the tlnittd ~tates iRDnsc of 1R.cprcscntatiDC,s COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6301 (202) 225-6371 www.science.house.gov Subcommittee on Environment The State ofthe Environment: Evaluating Progress and Priorities Thwsday, February 14, 2012 10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Witnesses The Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White, Distinguished Fellow-in-Residence & Director, Armstrong Center for Energy &. the Environment, Texas Public Policy Foundation Mr. Richard Trzupek, Principal Consultant, Trinity Consulting Dr. Bernard Goldstein, Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health 3 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY Subcommittee on Environment HEARING CHARTER The State of the Environment: Evaluating Progress and Priorities Thursday, February 14,2013 10:00 'LID. - 11:30 a.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Pnrpose On Thursday. February 14, 2013, the Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing to assess broad environmental trends and indicators, including an examination of factors such as air and water quality, chemical exposure, environmental and human health, and climate change. Witnesses are asked to provide their perspective on progress and challenges on these environmental trends as they relate to research and development, reb'Ulation, technological innovation, energy use and Americans' changing standard of living. Witnesses The Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White, Distinguished Fellow-in-Residence & Director, Annstrong Center for Energy & the Environment, Texas Public Policy Foundation Mr. Richard Trzupek, Principal Consultant, Trinity Consulting Dr. Bernard Goldstein, Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Overview Since many environmental statutes were enacted in the 1970s and 1980s, there have been significant improvements in virtually all major environmental indicators in the United States. For example, the aggregate emissions for the six criteria air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act have dropped 63 percent since 1980. Over the same period, America's Gross Domestic Product increased 128 percent, energy consumption increased 26 percent, population grew by 37 percent, and vehicle miles traveled increased 94 percent. l See Chart 1 for a Comparison of Growth Areas and Emissions, 1980-2011. These trends are also reflected in other metrics, including enhanced water quality, reduction of toxic chemical exposure, decreased carbon intensity, energy intensity, forest size, land use, and biodiversity. For many of the traditional pollutants regulated under statutes such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, virtually all of the less-expensive environmental improvements have been achieved. One of the questions to be discussed at this hearing will be the estimated costs for additional, proposed EPA reductions and how much incremental benefit might be attained. A systematic process for evaluating the state of the environment, environmental priorities at EPA, or conducting comprehensive retrospective analyses on environmental progress has yet to be 1 hHp://\lml.cpa.goy/airtrcndsiagtrcnds.hlml 4 developed. The last "Report on the EnvironmenC2 by the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment was completed in 2008. The EPA has not conducted a comprehensive assessment of the highest-priority environmental issues, especially where limited research and regulatory resources should be directed, since the early 1990s. Further hampering the assessment of general environmental health is the lack of data available to make such evaluations.