Chairman Palmer Speaks in Support of FIRE Act on the House Floor

I rise today in support of H.R. 6387, the FIRE Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman Gabe Evans of Colorado and co-led by Congressman Adam Gray of California. The FIRE Act ensures that states are not penalized for wildfire mitigation practices like prescribed or controlled burns and brush clearing. States currently limit these practices for fear of falling out of attainment with national air quality standards. Unlike wildfires, prescribed burns do not automatically qualify as an exception as exceptional events under the current provisions of the Clean Air Act. This is because prescribed burns are human cause, likely to recur, and preventable. As a result, prescribed burns are often counted against states for the purpose of national air quality standards. The 2016 EPA amended the exceptional event rule in an effort to include prescribed burns, but the attempt fell. Only one prescribed fire qualified for the exceptional event exception in the last decade. Congress must amend the Clean Air Act to allow wildfire mitigation to be included as an exceptional event exception. Time has taught us that agency action is not enough to address the current statutory obstacles. The FIRE Act directly amends the Clean Air Act so that prescribed burns are treated as exceptional events and states are not penalized for wildfire mitigation measures. It provides clarity and predictability for air quality planning and encourages proactive fire wildfire mitigation measures. There is nearly unanimous agreement that increasing the use of prescribed fire and other wildfire mitigation practices is necessary to reduce the growing wildfire threats across the country. With what's projected to be a severe wildfire season around the corner, Congress must modernize the Clean Air Act to ensure that wildfire mitigation practices are eligible for the exceptional events rule. The FIRE Act allows states to perform prescribed burns and wildfire mitigation activities without severe economic consequences, protecting their communities from the devastating impact of wildfires. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and I yield to and I reserve.