Carbajal, Huffman Reintroduce Bill to Protect Blue Whales & Cut Coastal Air Pollution

U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) reintroduced the Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act, a bill to create a new federal program encouraging commercial shipping companies operating off the Pacific coast to reduce the speeds of their vessels in order to protect marine life and cut air pollution.

Read the full text of the legislation here.

The bill models the new federal program off the regional Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction (VSR) program, which recognizes shipping companies that reduce speeds off California's coast - including shipping lanes within the Greater Santa Barbara Channel Region off Rep. Carbajal's Central Coast district.

"Since 2014, the Protecting Blue Whales Blue Skies program has made California's coastline cleaner and safer for both marine life and local communities. It's a commonsense solution that has delivered a win-win for both the environment and public health. The program's successful regional impact supports a case for scaling it to the federal level," said Rep. Carbajal. "My legislation will do just that by expanding the program's scope to include the entire Western coast of our country. I thank Congressman Huffman for partnering with me on this important bill, which honors my former colleague Alan Lowenthal's advocacy and strengthens federal protections for our whales and our air quality."

"When ships are barreling through the ocean, not only does it guzzle up fuel and throw out more emissions, it makes it hard for them to avoid collisions with whales - leading to the death of these iconic and endangered species on top of impacts to our climate and communities," said Rep. Huffman."California came up with a solution to tackle both of these problems that my friend and former colleague Alan Lowenthal championed locally as well as here in Congress. I'm glad to join Rep. Carbajal in this renewed and expanded legislation that would incentivize shipping companies to reduce their speeds along the entire West Coast, protecting marine mammals and our planet."

Since 2018, 76 shipping companies have participated in the regional Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies VSR program. Over the past decade, the program has cut air pollution at a scale equivalent to taking nearly 6 million cars off the road for an entire year.

The Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act honors the retired California Congressman who had previously championed legislation to create federal recognition for speed reduction off California's coastline. The legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week expands on Lowenthal's advocacy by mandating the creation of a federal program that would cover the eligible recognition area to the entire Western coast of the lower 48 U.S. states.

The bill would create the federal recognition program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with the California program serving as the model for the qualifications and the recognition to be provided by NOAA to participating shipping companies.

The regional program is run by a partnership of public and nonprofit entities including the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and others.