Environment
Information regarding my stance on Environmental issues.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) wrote to the outgoing and incoming presidents and CEOs of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) today following their recent meeting with the Tennessee congressional delegation to express his concern that they are not treating the cleanup of the coal ash found in the groundwater at the Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis with sufficient urgency. See the letter here.
Among the points Congressman Cohen makes in the letter:
Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) clean up of the coal ash at its now-idled Allen Fossil Plant could take up to 20 years and Rep. Steve Cohen told TVA leaders Tuesday that's too long.
TVA said it will close its remaining coal ash pond at the Allen plant. The federal agency is now in the process of deciding just how it will deal with the coal ash that remains at the site. Options include sealing the ash and storing it in place and removing the ash.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) was the only member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to receive a perfect score on the Defenders of Wildlife Conservation Report Card for the 2nd Session of the 115th Congress.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"I'm proudly working hard to protect our wildlife and its habitat and am encouraged by this acknowledgement of my voting record by Defenders of Wildlife."
CLARIFICATIONS/CORRECTIONS: This story has been updated to reflect that workers for Jacobs, a contractor hired by the Tennessee Valley Authority to help clean up a 2008 coal ash spill in East Tennessee, say they were misled by supervisors about the dangers of coal ash exposure, citing safety managers who told them they could safely eat a pound of coal ash a day without harm. The company says the statements were not meant to be taken literally.
Tennessee lawmakers are considering a resolution to express support for a bill in Congress that would require TVA's board of directors to hold open meetings.
State Sen. Ken Yager, of Kingston, is asking for a Senate resolution to support a bill in Congress to
require TVA to hold open meetings that the public can attend.
State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, explained Senate Joint Resolution 192 in a Senate committee meeting this week, in which the resolution won unanimous approval.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today asked House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on which he serves to conduct a hearing on the impact of coal plants and coal ash dumps on groundwater quality. See his letter here.
WASHINGTON – Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Tim Burchett (TN-02) today wrote Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) President William D. Johnson demanding answers about TVA's announcement that ratepayers might have to pay for the misdeeds of the contractor it used for cleanup work at its Kingston plant, following the nation's worst coal ash spill.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, a bill to fund the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The bill prevents the further degradation of our National Parks and monuments and allows the EPA to resume its critical activities in protecting clean air and clean water. Tennessee's $55.5 million in EPA state grants are currently at risk because of the Trump Shutdown. The bill is virtually identical to one that passed the Senate in August by a 92-6 vote.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today introduced amendments to the annual Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.R. 6147) to prohibit the federal government from spending money at businesses owned by President Trump. The Congressman contends such spending violates a Constitutional anti-corruption provision that prohibit any President from receiving funding from the federal government beyond his salary.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed cautious relief that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the subject of numerous ethics scandals and corruption allegations, has at long last resigned. He released the following statement: