Chairman Capito Questions Panel on Importance of Prescribed Burns for Forest Management, Alternative Shipping Fuel Future

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing to examine a discussion draft of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA); and S. 881, the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Vessels Act.

During the hearing, Chairman Capito questioned witnesses about the need for states to expand the use of prescribed burns, and the complexities surrounding prescribed burns and exceptional events under current law. Additionally, Chairman Capito ask about the future of alternative fuels for shipping.

HIGHLIGHTS:

IMPORTANCE OF PRESCRIBED BURNS FOR STATES:

Chairman Capito:

"If I look at it from a practical matter, what I'm hearing are prescribed burns are smaller, more contained, to prevent a larger, uncontained [fire] which would have more pollution associated with it. So, from a practical standpoint, what you're trying to prevent are the larger fires that are more damaging to our atmosphere and particulate matter and all that. I mean, that's the crux of the argument that we're having, am I correct?"

Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Law & Policy, Property and Environment Research Center:

"That is exactly right. Prescribed fires are lower intensity, and you control when they happen, so the smoke is less destructive. I describe in my oral testimony that this weekend, you couldn't see the mountains from Bozeman because wildlife smoke, that doesn't happen from prescribed fire."

ISSUES WITH EPA EXCEPTIONAL EVENT PROCESS:

Chairman Capito:

"So, when you say the exceptional events prescription that you can use through EPA, nobody's using it. it sounds like very few uses of that?'

Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Law & Policy, Property and Environment Research Center:

"They're trying, my colleague can speak to that, it's just not working."

Chairman Capito:

"So why is it not working? Is it just pent up in regulation? Or [WEPA] would clarify those?

Johnny Sabo, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission, testifying on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters:

"[WEPA] would help bring clarity. So, Georgia, in February of 2025, submitted 129 exceptional events, 89 of those were prescribed fire. That was from 2021 to 2023, so that took that long to quantify everything, and we have still not heard back from EPA. We're ready to submit another 20 for 2024, you know. But as these stacked up, if they're denied, if somehow this gets viewed to where prescribed fire is not an exceptional event, then we start seeing nonattainment areas potentially, and we lose the ability to prescribe fire. And then states like Georgia then become states that are not utilizing prescribed fire and have catastrophic wildfire risk."

FUTURE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR SHIPPING:

Chairman Capito:

"In terms of the options, it sounds like the [maritime] industry is very active in trying to find alternatives, or at least additives, in certain areas to be able to bring down the carbon footprint [of maritime shipping]. Where do you see this going and will it eventually get to a full out…non-carbon intensive industry, or will it be a blend in your mind?"

Kathy Metcalf, President Emeritus, Chamber of Shipping of America:

"First of all, ammonia, hydrogen; my colleague, ICCT went through a number of them, methanol; a slightly politically hot one, nuclear. There are some small nuclear reactors that people are looking at as potential energy sources for port operations. No, I don't think it's going to be a mix. The ultimate goal is to go to zero emissions by 2050, that is the IMO goal. Now whether we get there or not, we can have that discussion…but that is the goal, and there will be no room for high polluting or high GHG emitting vessels as we move through time. The only point I wanted to make also is that we need to look at decarbonization of any source, but especially maritime transportation. It's not a light switch, it's a transition, and it takes time to get there in a wise and economical way."

Click HERE to view a one-pager on the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act discussion draft.

Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito's opening statement.

Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito's questions.

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