Week in Review — 12.3.21
The SST Newsletter highlights the goings on of the Committee, the hard work of our Members, and a look ahead. — Sign up to get it delivered straight to your inbox.
ICYMI: Chairwoman Launches Inquiry on Oil and Gas Methane Leaks
On Thursday, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent letters to ten oil and gas companies operating in the Permian Basin to understand whether each company’s existing Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs possess the capability to achieve wide-ranging, quantifiable emission reductions in oil and gas infrastructure methane leaks. The Committee is assessing whether additional policies and research may be required to support a stronger Federal role in monitoring, quantifying, and evaluating methane leak emissions. The Committee will be requesting that the companies disclose internal data regarding different aspects of their Permian Basin leak emissions and their efforts to quantify and mitigate those emissions.
Read our press release here. Find the letters here.
Washington Post: Lawmakers demand oil and gas firms divulge methane leak data
A Review of Astro2020 Decadal Survey
On Wednesday, the Subcommittees on Space and Aeronautics and Research and Technology held a hearing to review the science priorities and recommendations from the decadal survey on astronomy and astrophysics, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, recently released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
“Expanding access to and diversity and inclusion of the astronomy and astrophysics community is a key to achieving the ambitious goals that this decadal survey lays out.”- Chairman Don Beyer of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee (D-VA)
We have tremendous scientific opportunities before us, and I believe you have charted a bold yet sustainable path for achieving them…You have done your part, now it’s on Congress and the funding agencies to make it happen. — Chairwoman Haley Stevens of the Research and Technology Subcommittee (D-MI)
Ensuring American Leadership in Microelectronics
On Thursday, the Committee held a hearing to examine the status of U.S. leadership in advanced semiconductor development and manufacturing; to discuss how new investments and partnership models can support continued U.S. leadership; and to explore the role of the federal government in supporting domestic semiconductor innovation and manufacturing throughout the supply chain.
Advancing US leadership in microelectronics will require a long-term, whole of government strategy. While incentives to re-shore capacity now are important, the future will be shaped by how we invest in innovation & the technical workforce.- Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Coming up in Committee
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
Subject: “Forever Chemicals: Research and Development for Addressing the PFAS Problem”
DATE: Tuesday, December 7, 2021
TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST
PLACE: Online via videoconferencing
Witnesses:
· Dr. Elsie Sunderland, Gordan McKay Professor of Environmental Chemistry, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
· Ms. Abigail Hendershott, Executive Director, Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART)
· Ms. Amy Dindal, Director of Environmental Research and Development, Battelle Memorial Institute
· Dr. Peter Jaffé, Professor, Department Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University
Markup of:
· H.R. 847, the “Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act”
· H.R. 4270, the “Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act”
· H.R. 4819, the “National Nuclear University Research Infrastructure Reinvestment Act of 2021”
DATE: Thursday, December 9, 2021
TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST
PLACE: Online via videoconferencing
