U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Napa and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, introduced legislation to help state and local governments protect communities from the risks of wildfire smoke.
The Smoke Planning and Research Act would establish four centers of excellence at colleges and universities to research the risks of wildfire smoke.
The act would also direct the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to states, tribes and local governments to plan and respond to wildfire smoke.
Smoke mitigation efforts could include creating shelters for at-risk populations and retrofitting schools with air filters.
Both Eshoo and Thompson cited the frequent wildfires in California over the past five years.
“We know all to well the long lasting impacts smoke can have on our communities.
“This is a smart and effective tool to have in our toolbox as we continue working to help our communities rebuild and recover,” Thompson said.
“Poor air quality could remain a persistent concern in the Bay Area, and our legislation provides local governments with critical funding to mitigate the risks to public health,” Eshoo said.
photo: Claycord file photo
Wildfire smoke bad! Clear air good. That’ll be $100,000,000 please.
Love that! So true!
Ah, treating the symptom instead of the disease, something California politicians are very good at.
Money grab.
Wow !! Al it took was legislations. Why didn’t anyone think of this earlier?
Maybe they should properly maintain the forests rather than “smoke mitigation” when said forests catch on fire.
Leave it to Dems to legislate away wild fire smoke. They never met a problem that didn’t have a government solution.
More do-nothing garbage from Sacramento.
@WC Congressmen and Congresswomen are Federal legislators. Duh. They don’t work in Sacramento.
Or anywhere else for that matter.
Democrat Tax again.
The money will disappear for other entitlements & studies on how scorpions mate & the smoke will still be here.
Dumb, Dumb and Dumber!
Maybe they should introduce legislation directing PG&E to follow their own vegetation clearing program, upgrade outdated or malfunctioning equipment. They have Vegetation Departments that are suppose to have vegetation cleared from power lines, transformers and or electrical towers. Is this a case like the San Bruno Fire where they didn’t follow their own inspection procedures and or didn’t have records. PG&E has been getting away with a lack of QA/QC and not following Industry Codes/Standards and Procedures for years. Fix the root of the problem and maybe you wouldn’t have the smoke in the air.
Who is going to get the money? Oh, its not real money, just tax money.
These politicians keep getting elected. I don’t know is more stupid, the legislators or the people that keep electing these clowns. If you support these jackasses, then you deserve the result.
I was prepared to rip those idiots a “new one” and it’s already been done.
Great job everyone.
100% against this lunacy.
Education First !!!
Thank you for the relief efforts.
Why not just pass legislation that bans forest fires and wind? They could also mandate minimum annual rainfall.
Our politicians are imbeciles.
Point the windmills in a different direction and blow the smoke out to sea. Problem solved.
I couldn’t help it. I tried not to. But I just LMAO! 🙂 Why am I not surprised that the New Demigod Party wants money to control the wind. How much will they ask for next to tip the Axis just a wee bit more? Maybe we could get Marky to introduce a Flip the World Bill. I could go on. and on. and…. Wait…they want money to study the effect of smoke on the lungs…etc? Oh, well then… OK. 🙂 STILL LMAO.
Another clear example of worthless government. They have zero ability to solve the countries real problems- like crime, education, housing, crumbling infrastructure and so on. The shining example of their ineptness is Governor Nuisance’s monumental legislation that bans discrimination of hairstyles.
If they could just declare the state a wildfire smoke free zone the problem would be solved.
Creating more government jobs and more layers of bureaucracy.
Got smoke handled. Now we just need money for srudies on the effects of drought, earthquakes, landslides, floods… Keep it coming, folks.
This is why it’s harmful to elect politicians for decades.