For nearly a year, the Senate has argued about passing a carbon cap bill that is more commonly called the Carbon Tax Cap and Trade bill. A bill narrowly passed the House last year 219 to 212.
Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid decided to drop efforts to pass the legislation because he has been unable to gather a single republican to support the measure. Reid announced that he would instead pursue a much narrower bill that will focus on BP and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, he will try to include incentives that call for an increase use of natural gas, which is a much cleaner burning fuel, to provide our energy needs.
Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb has also opposed the carbon tax measure and said that without 60 sure votes, there is no reason to bring the bill out of committee as it has no chance of passing. Behind the scene negotiations have not succeeded in bringing one republican across the line. Nelson said he thought the narrower focus has a much better chance of passing.
RoyBigham roy@pollutionengineering.com Roy D. Bigham has been the editor of Pollution Engineering since 2002. Bigham attended Eastern Michigan University where
he majored in chemistry and computer science with an associates degree
in mathematics. He has worked as a laboratory technician at a research
laboratory, managed an electroplating operation and an associated
analytical laboratory. He spent three years overseeing environmental
operations of five domestic and five overseas operations for a major
manufacturer in the Detroit area. He then managed a field services
department for an environmental analytical laboratory before moving on
to a position as an environmental engineer for a construction
aggregates company.
Bigham
won a design award for a waste water treatment system for a landfill in
the Detroit area from the State Chamber of Commerce. He has been active
in the environmental field since 1980.
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