The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee announced several subcommittee meetings are set for a busy week of hearings.
While the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday morning regarding Revitalizing American Communities: Ensuring the Reauthorization of EPA’s Brownfields Program, the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee will hear Proposals to Enhance Product Safety and Transparency for Americans.
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on the recent tragic fires in Maui, Hawaii. The following individuals are expected to testify:
Ms. Shelee Kimura, President & CEO
Hawaiian Electric
Mr. Leodoloff R. Asuncion, Jr., Chairman
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
Mr. Mark B. Glick, Chief Energy Officer
Hawai’i State Energy Office
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) along with Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) recently launched an investigation into the Maui fires of last month.
Due to changes in the House Floor schedule requiring members be present to vote, the Energy and Commerce Committee indefinitely postponed last week’s Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee field hearing in East Palestine, Ohio, to discuss Life After the Train Derailment: Ensuring Transparency and Accountability for the People of East Palestine.
“The February train derailment and chemical spill upended the lives of people living in East Palestine and the surrounding region,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-OH), in a statement. “As crews work to clean up these communities and help return life to normal, officials must provide full transparency for residents. In March, the Committee heard from government officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. To continue building trust, we look forward to hearing from community leaders and rail industry officials next month regarding the ongoing cleanup efforts and the actions being taken to address residual environmental hazards.”