Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted against lifting the export ban on crude oil. Larsen issued the following statement regarding his decision about H.R. 702, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a vote of 261-159. “This bill to lift the ban our country has on exports of crude oil only adds uncertainty to the lives of the thousands of workers at the refineries in… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today praised the joint announcement from President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping to expand the efforts of both countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Larsen has pointed to the two countries’ joint efforts to combat climate change as a critical precursor to a successful U.N. climate agreement in Paris in December. During Xi’s first… Read more »

Read Rep. Larsen's op ed on the Bellingham Herald website. By Rep. Rick Larsen While riding down a major route in Beijing in January 2013, one sight struck me: the inability to see the tops of the buildings on either side of this street. The height of the buildings was not the problem, terrible smog was. I returned home with a terrible cold exacerbated by the particulate-heavy air I… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, continued his efforts today to improve safety at refineries and chemical facilities following the April 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes that killed seven workers. Larsen sent a letter to President Obama asking him to take action to strengthen safety standards and culture at these facilities. The letter follows the release of a report from the… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, called again for reform at the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today after a new report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform underscored ongoing mismanagement at the agency. Larsen advocated for new leadership at CSB in a recent editorial in the Skagit Valley Herald, following the delayed release of the agency’s final report about the… Read more »

The U.S. needs a better strategy to coordinate and prioritize its policies related to the Arctic region, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study out today that was released by Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), John Garamendi (CA-03) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK). The GAO study focused on U.S. participation in the Arctic Council, a voluntary body started… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, released the following statement after the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) voted to approve the final report on the 2010 Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes that killed seven employees. “Completing the investigation into the tragic refinery explosion is a critical step in providing the Anacortes community with needed closure and in allowing the industry… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, told a Congressional committee today that the renewal of the Columbia River Treaty should benefit Northwest Washington residents. In statement submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee for their field hearing on the treaty in Pasco, Larsen wrote, “The Columbia River does not reach my district, but it has far-reaching effects on my constituents. It… Read more »

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Warns the Energy Department that Decisions Affecting Northwest Energy Supplies Must be Made in the Northwest Every lawmaker representing Oregon, Washington and Idaho urged the U.S. Energy Department to maintain an independent Bonneville Power Administration that puts Northwest power users first, in a bipartisan letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz sent… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today announced a $38.4 million federal loan to modernize the electric grid in the San Juan Islands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to Orcas Power and Light Cooperative includes more than $24 million in funding for smart grid projects which will increase efficiency and reliability of electricity service for San Juan Island residents. "This loan is a… Read more »