Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Energy and the Environment
Durbin Statement on Trump Pulling U.S. from Historic Paris Climate Agreement
CHICAGO-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Trump announced that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, an historic deal negotiated by former-President Obama to combat climate change: "Pulling out of the international agreement to protect this Earth from the threat of climate change is a fateful message to our children and grandchildren. The President and his party have chosen politics over science and greed over responsibility. With … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Durbin to Trump: Protect America's National Parks & Monuments
WASHINGTON - As President Trump signed a new Executive Order to strip America's National Parks and Monuments, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, legislation to protect 9.2 million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin explained how these landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer research, educational, and … Continue Reading
April 25, 2017
Durbin, Kaptur, Bipartisan Great Lakes Coalition Press EPA Chief to Keep Region 5 Office Open
WASHINGTON - Following reports that the Trump Administration plans to abolish Region 5 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - which serves Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio - as part of the fiscal year 2018 budget, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) led a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers from the Great Lakes region in calling for the Region 5 office to remain intact and fully supported. In a bicameral letter to EPA … Continue Reading
April 24, 2017
Durbin, Deutch Introduce Bicameral Climate Change Adapt America Fund Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) today introduced the Climate Change Adapt America Fund Act, bicameral legislation that would create an "Adapt America Fund" administered by the Secretary of Commerce and used to finance climate change adaptation and infrastructure resiliency projects. The bill would also authorize the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue up to $200 million annually in "Climate Change Bonds" to be purchased by Americans … Continue Reading
April 17, 2017
Durbin Statement on Reports Trump Administration will Close Chicago EPA Office
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Trump Administration plans to close the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 5 Office located in Chicago. "I am deeply concerned by reports the Trump Administration plans to close the EPA's regional office in Chicago. Such an action would be irresponsible - especially in light of last week's chemical spill in Lake Michigan - and demonstrate clear disregard for the … Continue Reading
April 12, 2017
Durbin, Illinois Delegation Urge FEMA to Make Disaster Deductible Concept Fair to States and Localities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led the Illinois congressional delegation in a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expressing concern over the impact FEMA's Public Assistance deductible concept will have on states' ability to receive federal assistance after a disaster occurs. FEMA's Public Assistance deductible would require states to meet a predetermined, annual expenditure of state emergency management funds or disaster recovery costs to qualify for … Continue Reading
April 11, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth, Great Lakes Senators Urge Trump Administration to Release Army Corps Brandon Road Study to Stop Spread of Asian Carp
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in calling on the Trump Administration to release a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that recommends specific measures to prevent Asian Carp from reaching beyond the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, a crucial chokepoint in the Chicago waterway system. The study, which is critical to stopping the flow of Asian Carp and other invasive species, was set to be released at the end of February … Continue Reading
April 10, 2017
Durbin Joins Call for EPA Chief to Address Likely Conflicts of Interest Regarding Clean Power Plan
NEW YORK - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined his colleagues in calling for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to address the apparent conflict of interest regarding his participation in EPA's review of the Clean Power Plan, which Mr. Pruitt formerly challenged in court as Oklahoma's Attorney General. Durbin, along with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), … Continue Reading
March 28, 2017
Trump Message in Fight Against Climate Change: America Surrenders
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling America's efforts to reduce pollution and fight climate change: "Just about everyone agrees that we should try to pollute less, but not Donald Trump-he just surrendered in the fight against climate change. He's put the future health and safety of America's children back into the hands of big oil companies, and turned us back toward a … Continue Reading
March 22, 2017
Durbin Meets With MWRD To Express Continued Support For McCook Reservoir
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to express his continued support for the construction and funding of the McCook Reservoir Project. Durbin, along with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) recently pressed the Army Corps for strong and continued support for the construction of the McCook Reservoir Project in a letter to Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army … Continue Reading
March 09, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Work To Bring Fairness To Fema Disaster Declaration Process
WASHINGTON - Following last week's string of severe weather and tornadoes that caused extensive damage and three fatalities across Illinois, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the introduction of the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois. Due … Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley Press Army Corps To Approve Funding For McCook Reservoir
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) pressed the Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) for strong and continued support for the construction of the McCook Reservoir Project in a letter to Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Douglas Lamont. An allocation of additional funding by the Corps is necessary to meet the December 31, 2017 deadline for completion of Stage 1 of the McCook Reservoir, which is required by the … Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Durbin Opposes Rep. Ryan Zinke For Interior
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior. Representative Ryan Zinke was confirmed by a vote of 68-31. America has a proud record of protecting our National Parks and historic treasures-Teddy Roosevelt would be proud. It's the Interior Secretary's job to preserve these valuable resources for future generations. Nothing in Congressman Zinke's record suggests he … Continue Reading
February 17, 2017
Durbin Opposes Scott Pruitt For EPA
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against President Donald Trump's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scott Pruitt was confirmed by a vote of 52-46. By confirming Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator, Republicans are turning their backs on decades of bipartisan environmental progress. Pruitt has demonstrated time and again his unwillingness to accept the science of climate change and his contempt for the … Continue Reading
February 16, 2017
Durbin, Senators Demand Scott Pruitt Recuse Himself From All Issues Related To Lawsuits He Brought Against The EPA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and a group of 30 Senators called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator nominee Scott Pruitt today to recuse himself from participating in any matter related to litigation that he pursued against the EPA as Oklahoma Attorney General. In the letter, the Senators specifically call on Mr. Pruitt to recuse himself from decisions on how the EPA will defend itself against the lawsuits he brought for as long as … Continue Reading
February 06, 2017
Durbin to Oppose Nomination of Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he will oppose the nomination of Scott Pruitt to become the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Halting the catastrophic effects of climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. But instead of debating the best way to do it, President Trump and his EPA nominee want to debate whether or not the science itself is real. In fact, Scott Pruitt has spent much of his career in office working to … Continue Reading
May 13, 2014
Durbin to EPA: Mahomet Aquifer Is A Unique, Precious Resource And Should Be Protected
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In comments filed today with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that special care must be taken to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, and urged the agency to designate it as a sole source of drinking water for the residents of central Illinois. The EPA is currently seeking public comment on a proposal to designate the Mahomet Aquifer System as a sole source aquifer, and will be holding public hearings on the proposal today and … Continue Reading
April 25, 2014
Durbin, Kirk: BP Must Be A Better Neighbor To Lake Michigan, Chicago
[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today met with BP America Chairman and President John Minge to voice serious concerns over last month's spill at the company's Whiting, Ind. facility. Noting that the plant recently expanded to double the amount of heavy oil sands it processes and that last month's spill was just the most recent in a string of environmental issues it has caused, the Senators said BP must take steps to prevent any further harm to Lake Michigan … Continue Reading
April 14, 2014
Durbin Announces FutureGen 2.0 Labor Agreement
[JACKSONVILLE] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced an agreement between the FutureGen Alliance and local labor unions which gives the local unions primary responsibility for hiring the workers needed to build the FutureGen 2.0 project. "In addition to producing affordable, reliable electricity in an environmentally-friendly way, FutureGen will also create hundreds of high-skilled construction jobs," Durbin said. "The agreement announced today allows the project to move … Continue Reading
March 27, 2014
Durbin, Kirk Ask for Meeting with BP Following Oil Spill in Lake Michigan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today asked for a meeting with BP after oil from BP's Whiting refinery in Indiana spilled into Lake Michigan earlier this week. Specifically, the Illinois members asked for a report about the cause of the spill, an analysis of the impact of the Whiting Refinery's production increase on Lake Michigan and information on what is being done to prevent future spills. "Any unanticipated spill is cause for concern, but … Continue Reading