Committee OKs bill requiring agencies to reduce emissions

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved legislation Tuesday that would require federal agencies to make their buildings more environmentally friendly by substantially cutting carbon emissions.

"The federal government is the single largest energy consumer in the United States, but there is currently no requirement for the federal government to track or directly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions," committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chief sponsor of the bill, noted. The legislation (H.R. 2635), which passed on a voice vote, requires federal agencies to assess which harmful gases may be emitted from their buildings, and impose a freeze on those toxins by 2010.

The greenhouse gases targeted in the legislation are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The bill would mandate that those gases would be entirely reduced by 2050, effectively making all government buildings "carbon neutral." Newly constructed buildings would be forced to be more eco-friendly and emit less gas than standing buildings.

"Approximately one third of the energy consumed by the federal government in 2005 was associated with the operations of federal facilities," a committee statement said.

Federal agencies taking inventory of emissions from their buildings would follow the same guidelines created under an existing Environmental Protection Agency program, which was created to assist private companies curb gas emissions. The EPA administrator would have to sign off on each agency's evaluation and plan for new environmental standards within two years of the bill's enactment. Agencies would also submit a status report annually to the Office of Management and Budget, which would then grade performance and submit a report to Congress.

Waxman's bill also targets government-used vehicles, which would be held to a maximum emission standard. That standard would be aligned with similar regulations yet to be determined by the California state government, which also aim to substantially cut vehicle emissions. Low emission alternative fuels are encouraged, according to the legislation.

The bill authorizes appropriations "as may be necessary" for any associated costs.

Stakeholders including the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council and U.S. Public Interest Research Group voiced their support for the legislation in a letter to the committee Tuesday.

"The bill backs up its commitment to carbon neutrality with a series of sound policy steps, including strong safeguards to ensure the integrity of any offsets used to meet the requirements of the bill," the letter to committee members stated.

The legislation unanimously approved by the committee is expected to be part of a package of energy bills taken up early next month.