Representative Dingell often quotes his father, who frequently told him, “We borrow this Earth from those who come after us.” As such, Dingell has been an avid conservationist during his tenure in Congress, authoring such cornerstone laws as the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act and playing an integral part in the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

October 24, 2006 - Celebrating the release of Lake Whitefish into the Detroit River

Dingell is now one of the leaders in the fight to address climate change. As Chairman, Dingell recently lead the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in passing legislation that would remove more than 8.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, an amount equal to the annual emissions of all cars on the road in America today. He is also working on legislation to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. He hopes to achieve reductions of between 60 and 80 percent by 2050.

Other environmental and energy issues that fall within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction include: Safe Drinking Water, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks, Superfund, the Clean Air Act and Solid Waste. Since becoming chairman in January, Dingell has already passed legislation giving states more control over the importation of municipal solid waste, including that which comes from Canada. For more specifics on issues within the Committees jurisdiction, please click here.

The Congressman is a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and, through his work on the Commission and in Congress, has been a tireless advocate for the Wildlife Refuge System and our National Parks. In 2001, the Congressman sponsored legislation to create the first ever International Wildlife Refuge. Since then, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has flourished – growing from approximately 300 to 5000 acres. The Refuge is one of a handful of urban refuges in the system and is near and dear to the Congressman’s heart, as he grew up hiking and hunting on very shores which are now part of the Refuge.

Coming from Michigan, a state blessed with the Great Lakes, Congressman Dingell understands the importance of the Lakes to Michigan. Michigan owes its tourism industry to the Great Lakes – where people come from around the country to recreate, hunt, fish and relax. The Lakes as a transportation system provided Michigan with the means to turn the State into a manufacturing powerhouse. That is just one of the reasons the Congressman has made clean water one of his top priorities, playing an integral role in the 1972 Clean Water Act. Given the recent decisions coming out of the Supreme Court, the Congressman strongly feels that the law is under attack. In order to address this issue, Congressman Dingell is working to pass legislation to clarify original Congressional intent that all waters of the United States be covered. Congressman Dingell is also a Co-Chair of the house Great Lakes Task Force. It is through the Task Force that Representative Dingell works on issues like getting a comprehensive clean-up and protection plan for the Lakes and addressing the problem of aquatic invasive species.