On the recordMay 22, 2013
I rise to urge my colleagues to reject this rule and reject H.R. 3. We've already seen the impact of tar sands oil in my district. Piles of petroleum coke three stories tall and a city block wide are sitting on the banks of the Detroit River. Pet coke, a byproduct of refining tar sands oil, is much dirtier than coal and is often sold to China. In Detroit, it sits uncovered and uncontained, waiting to blow into the air and water. These piles of petroleum coke are a blight on our communities and could pose a threat to the environment and public health. I offered an amendment to require a study on the environmental impacts of petroleum coke and other byproducts. This amendment was rejected by the Rules Committee despite the study's potential benefits to communities who may become host to their own piles of Pet coke. The bill--and the rule--is taking us in the wrong direction. Instead of selling dirty energy to China, we should be developing clean energy technology here at home. For these reasons, I cannot support the rule. And urge my colleagues to reject H.R. 3.
