Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Energy and the Environment
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Trump Administration's Failure To Include Funding For Great Lakes Shoreline Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 work plan for not including funding for two important Great Lakes shoreline programs - the Great Lakes Resiliency Study and the Chicago Shoreline Project. "As the Great Lakes shoreline faces the most serious environmental threat in decades, the Army Corps' work plan fails to provide funding for its protection," Durbin said. "Ignoring the urgen… Continue Reading
02.11.20
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Legislation To Achieve Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions By No Later Than 2050
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and 30 other Senators in introducing The Clean Economy Act, legislation that would put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050. The bill heeds the call for bold climate action and at the same time boosts American competitiveness, promotes healthier frontline communities, and fosters a growing economy that works for everyone. This … Continue Reading
02.11.20
Durbin, Democrat Colleagues Call For Action On Energy Tax Policy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 25 of his Democratic colleagues in requesting Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to take action on languishing energy tax policy priorities to address the growing threat of climate change. The senators wrote, "Despite numerous opportunities, including in the recent tax extenders package, the Finance Committee has failed to take action on the dozens of energy tax proposals pending before it. It i… Continue Reading
02.07.20
Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges FEMA To Support State's Request For Extension Of Flood Damage Assessment In Cook And Lake Counties
WASHINGTON - Today, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for an extension from FEMA in the State conducting a Preliminary Damage Assessment of the flooding event that occurred from January 10-11, 2020. Last month, severe storms brought rain, snow, ice, and high winds in excess of 50 miles per hour to Cook and Lake Counties. This caused Lake Michi… Continue Reading
02.06.20
Durbin, Senators To EPA: Protect Communities In Region Five
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today urged the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator, Kurt Thiede, to prioritize protecting public health and safety and supporting the hard-working career professionals within Region 5 - which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesot… Continue Reading
01.29.20
Durbin, Duckworth Call On ArcelorMittal To Clean Up Its Act Following Pollution Violations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged ArcelorMittal to take responsibility for its Burns Harbor facility's attempt to cover up the leaking of toxic chemicals into the Little Calumet River and Lake Michigan. In a letter to ArcelorMittal President and CEO John Brett, Durbin and Duckworth slammed the company for "a recurring, objectionable pattern of environmental and public health violations." "By misleading regulators about the results, ArcelorMitt… Continue Reading
01.24.20
Durbin Pushes Trump Administration To Address Climate Change Impacts On Lake Michigan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke to Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Civil Works R.D. James, who oversees the Army Corps, to urge the Corps to provide federal funding for two projects that will protect the Chicago Shoreline from the impacts of climate change. The Trump Administration has yet to fully fund the Great Lakes Resiliency Study authorized by Congress and or provide increased funding to reevaluate and expand the Chicago Shoreline project. "We face perh… Continue Reading
01.09.20
Durbin Leads Bicameral, Bipartisan Coalition In Pledging Support To Australia Amid Ongoing Bushfire Crisis
WASHINGTON - Today, the co-chairs of the bicameral Friends of Australia Caucus, which include U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08), sent a letter to Australian Ambassador Joe Hockey expressing their full support for the people of Australia during the ongoing bushfire crisis. Durbin, Blunt, Courtney, and Gallagher met with Ambassador Hockey this morning, and a photo of that meeting is available here. "… Continue Reading
01.08.20
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Investigation Of Arcelormittal Following Reports Of Pollution Violations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to urge the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to conduct a full investigation of ArcelorMittal's Burns Harbor facility in northwest Indiana following reports from Chicago Tribune and CBS Chicago that the corporation is manipulating water tests and that unacceptable levels of cyanide and ammonia were found in the water discharged from the plan… Continue Reading
12.20.19
Congress Passes Bipartisan Spending Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills yesterday. The bills are expected to be signed by President Donald Trump today. "These bills invest in Illinois' environment, transportation infrastructure, health, agriculture, service members, and security. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, bringing home federal dollars w… Continue Reading
12.18.19
Durbin, Members of Illinois Congressional Delegation Press EPA Administrator Wheeler On Ethylene Oxide Emissions
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today pressed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler about their concerns about ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions at the Medline and Vantage facilities in Lake County. In a meeting with Administrator Wheeler, Durbin pushed for a timeline of regulatory actions by the U.S. EPA, and called on Administrator Wheeler to protect the U.S. EPA's Integrated Risk Information System … Continue Reading
12.16.19
Durbin Introduces Bill To Protect America's National Parks & Monuments
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, a bill to protect 8.2 million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families. "These lands are threatened by fossil fuel develo… Continue Reading
12.10.19
Durbin, Colleagues Send Letter To U.N. Convention And President Trump In Support Of Global Efforts To Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), sent a pair of letters today to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to President Trump about the importance of combatting climate change. In the letter to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, the Senators expressed support of its global efforts to thwart climate change. "Failing to address the worsening crisis of climate change will wreak damages on all Americans f… Continue Reading
12.10.19
Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Resolution In Support Of U.S. Commitment To Paris Climate Agreement: "We Are Still In"
WASHINGTON-As international negotiators continue discussions at the 25th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), today joined 13 other Senators in introducing a resolution to express support for the Paris Climate Agreement. The resolution notes the growing scientific urgency around the need for action to combat the climate crisis, and details the bold steps that sta… Continue Reading
11.25.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Lipinski, Foster, Schneider, Casten, Underwood Ask EPA To Issue Stronger Standards For ETO Emissions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Bill Foster (D-IL- 11), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better protect communities from ethylene oxide (EtO) emitted by industrial processes. The members, in a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, voiced concerns that the EPA's recently proposed actions on… Continue Reading
11.19.19
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support NPS Management Of Pullman Historical Park
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a bill that would ensure protections for National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land and enter into cooperative agreements at Pullman National Historical Park in order to advance park management. The legislation, the Pullman National Historical Park Act 2019, would ensure protections for the Pullman area and provide NPS more flexibility to work with historic buildings and assets that it does not own, but th… Continue Reading
10.10.19
Durbin Continues To Push For Quincy Bay Restoration Project
QUINCY - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined local officials and members of the Quincy Bay Area Restoration and Enhancement Association (QBAREA) to discuss the need to restore one of the largest natural bays of the Upper Mississippi River. Last month, Durbin included language in the Senate FY2020 Energy & Water appropriations bill directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to continue working with Quincy to prioritize the environmental restoration project at Quincy Bay. "Th… Continue Reading
09.30.19
Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Sterigenics Closing Willowbrook Facility
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after Willowbrook, Illinois-based Sterigenics, Inc. announced it would close its facility: "This is welcome news for Willowbrook residents, but we remain troubled that the Trump EPA was content remaining on the sidelines instead of taking action on this public health crisis. The agency's lack of urgency to use its authority to issue updated federal emission standards for ethylene oxid… Continue Reading
09.20.19
Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Introduce Resolution To Protect Ambitious National Fuel Economy And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and 31 colleagues in reintroducing a Senate resolution in response to the Trump Administration's efforts to roll back federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards designed to fight climate change and protect Americans' access to clean air. Durbin, Duckworth, and their colleagues are reintroducing the resolution in advance of the Administration's expected move to formally revoke Calif… Continue Reading
08.29.19
Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges President Trump To Support State's Request For Federal Assistance From Flood Damage
WASHINGTON - The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois to help 33 counties recover from severe flooding that occurred from February to July. This year's flooding is the longest flood event to ever occur in Illinois. "Many communities experienced power outages, road closures, and significant damage to homes and businesses. More than 1,694 homes and bus… Continue Reading