Dorothy Glover
July 30, 2007
Horace Scott
August 1, 2007(AP) A Louisiana congressman who has one of the possible swing votes on a House committee considering climate change legislation to combat global warming may find himself in the middle on the upcoming debate.
Rep. Charles Melancon, D-Napoleonville, who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee has two potentially conflicting groups of constituents: environmentalists who want extensive pollution controls and the petroleum industry that fears tougher standards would hurt their pocketbooks.
“I think he has the capacity to call balls and strikes on this issue,” said Scott Segal, who handles refineries and utilities for Bracewell and Giuliani, a Washington firm that tracks energy legislation.
Environmentalists recently conducted a poll in their districts which they say shows that global warming is the chief environmental concern of constituents.
A poll of 402 of Melancon’s constituents in the 3rd Congressional District showed that 65 percent responded that they favored some sort of legislation to fight global warming. The poll was conducted June 19-23 by Harstad Strategic Research Inc., a national research firm in Boulder, Colo., for the Natural Resources Defense Council. It had an margin of error of plus or minus five percent.
“We hope that he will look to the future for his district and his constituents,” said Maura Wood, the Baton Rouge-based regional director for the Sierra Club.
Wood said that because Melancon’s district contains the most coastline in Louisiana, he should be more inclined to support legislation that would prevent rising tides due to global warming.
Until last week, Melancon had kept his stance on the issue close to the vest. Though the committee will roll out provisions of the new House energy bill as early as this week, the more controversial pieces will not likely be addressed until September.
In a recent interview, Melancon said that constituents in his district are likely concerned with global warming. Melancon points to scientific claims that hurricanes are now gaining more strength because of warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
“It’s a reality,” Melancon said. “I don’t know that I have all the answers to fixing all the problems, but it’s something we have to address.”
Melancon is not feeling pressure from industry, but he is willing to listen to their arguments, he said.
“I tell the fossil fuel guys ‘Let’s not get in a fight out there about who’s going to be left standing, we need all of you,” he said.
Among provisions of the legislation is a possible cap and trade measure on carbon emissions, which would allow polluters to buy credits from industries with cleaner records.
Higher standards for automobile efficiency are also being considered, along with legislation pushing for the use of more renewable fuels and biofuels such as ethanol.
The Louisiana Mid-Continent Gas and Oil Association, which represents 19 refineries in the state, said any legislation placing restraints on industry could hurt the state.
“If the United States does something and other countries do not, then industry leaves Louisiana and goes to other countries,” said Richard Metcalf, the association’s environmental affairs coordinator.
Energy representatives questioned the poll conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“People of Louisiana have lived with the energy industry for decades,” Segal said. “They count on it for their livelihoods.”
