Gabe Evans: “I personally thank the chairman for his leadership and partnership on this legislation and Congress' broader efforts to…”

“I personally thank the chairman for his leadership and partnership on this legislation and Congress' broader efforts to modernize the Clean Air Act. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the bipartisan Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act, or FIRE Act for short. This commonsense bill ensures that States like Colorado are not punished for smoke and emissions that they cannot control while still maintaining strong environmental protections and incentivizing good forest management practices to prevent wildfires. The Front Range of Colorado has consistently struggled to meet ozone attainment levels set by the Federal Clean Air Act, despite the fact that data and science show that more than 70 percent of emissions originate from sources outside of Colorado. My mission when I came to Congress was to find a streamlined, nonpartisan solution to this problem, to cut red tape, and to help lower costs and protect the economy for my constituents. My proposal simply clarifies how emissions from wildfires, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events are treated in Federal air quality reviews.”