Coal ash, Keystone riders dropped from transportation bill

Congress has reached an agreement and passed a transportation bill that does not include provisions that would block the EPA from adopting new coal ash standards and approve the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Although the provisions were not directly relevant to the Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Act of 2012 (H.R. 4348), some Congress members have been using as many bills as possible to promote the construction of the pipeline and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing laws.

Allowing these provisions to be passed with the bill could have meant devastating health and environmental impacts for the U.S. The coal ash provision would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating toxic coal combustion waste that can be detrimental for the water and health of communities near coal ash dumps or ponds.

The Keystone XL Pipeline, which would import tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada all the way to Texas, would endanger water supplies in the U.S. Lead climate scientist James Hansen has said that allowing the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline would essentially mean “game over” for the climate.

Preventing the passage of these provisions – though both are likely to come up again – has ensured that the EPA can continue doing its job. It has also stopped the Keystone XL once again, illustrating how strong the fight against the pipeline continues to be. This bill constitutes a victory for the environment and for the health of people throughout the U.S.

The House and Senate both passed the revised bill on June 29, with 67% of members voting yes in the House and 74% voting yes in the Senate. All of Kentucky’s members of Congress voted yes for this bill except for Sen. Rand Paul, who voted against it.

Read more about the bill here.