Taking a Stand for A Healthy Environment

By Barry Groveman

Taking a Stand for a Healthy Environment

Clean-Up Sick Beaches and Protect Streams and Wildlife

I support a "clean water + clean beaches" fee to protect public health by cleaning up polluted storm water, and preventing pollution, trash, toxic chemicals and dangerous bacteria from running off into local rivers, creeks, bays, the ocean and on to our beaches.

Protect Drinking Water & Improve Water Quality

I will protect precious drinking water supplies preemptively by anticipating potential problems with water wells and other sources. This reverses the current strategy of regulatory agencies that wait for contamination to occur before taking any action. I currently serve as the Chair of the Inland Empire Perchlorate Task Force responsible for coordinating efforts to clean up contaminated water wells, serving water to over 500,000 people.

Punish Career Polluters

Too many polluting businesses are repeat offenders. That's why I will initiate laws to maximize deterrence by imposing stiff penalties and deny state contracts to chronic corporate polluters.

Reduce Dirty Air Around Schools

Asthma in children has skyrocketed. That's why I fought to protect our kids from the dangers of second-hand smoke. I will sponsor legislation to limit auto emissions in school zones by providing clean burning school buses as an alternative to single-parent car trips.

Track Down Oil Spills More Quickly

Under my proposed legislation, oil cargo ships and hazardous material vessels near our coasts, ports or harbors will be required to obtain permits and provide "fingerprint" analysis of their chemical cargoes. That way, spills can be immediately identified and mitigated before they can do harm to our precious coastlines. What's more, if polluters know they're going to be caught, they'll invest in cleaner and safer vessels.

Tax Excess Oil Company Profits to Invest in Alternative Technology

I support a tax on the excess profits of oil companies that will provide revenues to invest in fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative technologies--like solar and wind--to reduce reliance on costly imported petroleum based fuels and help reduce greenhouse gases.