The Largest Climate Action in American History 

“Coastal communities in Washington state are extremely vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal hazards and that’s why we must continue to push forward to help communities construct climate resilient infrastructure and habitat. In the next 30 years, the sea will rise as much as it has in the last 100 years. We have to ensure that our coastal communities have the tools and resources to prepare and adapt to climate change and sea level rise.” - Sen. Cantwell 

An historic megadrought. Catastrophic flooding and debilitating heatwaves. Deadly hurricanes and wildfires. Last year alone, the United States endured 18 separate billion-dollar extreme weather and climate-fueled disasters. By 2050, many coastal communities could be permanently underwater. With nearly 87 million people living in coastal communities, new investments are critical to ensuring these communities are resilient against a changing climate and built to last against extreme weather. 

In 2022, Senate Democrats passed the largest climate action bill in American history. The Inflation Reduction Act is an historic investment to lower costs for American families, tackle the generational challenge of climate change and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030. President Biden signed the Act into law on August 16, 2022.  

Sen. Cantwell secured $3.3 billion in investments for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support our coastal communities’ resiliency strategies by: 

• Preparing communities for climate resiliency by reconstructing natural fish habitats from years of erosion to protect against rising sea levels and mitigate storm surges.   

• Updating National Marine Sanctuaries to support critical monitoring of ocean conditions that contribute to climate change and impact coastal communities.

• Constructing new NOAA facilities, including fishery laboratories and piers, to support cutting-edge science, research and innovation. 

• Adding a new Gulfstream G550 Hurricane Hunter to collect data on incoming hurricanes and atmospheric rivers. 

• Funding competitive grants to universities, state and Tribal governments for climate research on atmospheric and oceanic processes, causes of extreme weather, and changes in the numbers of marine species and how they use coastal habitats.

•  Advancing supercomputing power to improve extreme weather predictions and increase NOAA’s research capabilities, including the key to finally understanding the growing frequency of Pacific marine heatwaves – known as “the blob” – which create ocean temperatures up to seven degrees above average and wreak havoc on marine food webs.  

Read More About the Climate Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act  

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers significant funding to NOAA's climate and weather forecasting programs. These investments will:

• Upgrade climate and weather models to improve the accuracy of drought, flood and wildfire forecasts and predictions and tracking of extreme weather events. 
• Replace failing ocean observation buoys and deploy new high-frequency radar systems to improve the ocean current maps used in navigation, tracking oil spills and harmful algal blooms and climate research. 
• Improve flood forecasting models to support local planning and prevention to protect lives and property. 

For Americans in wildfire-prone areas, better wildfire forecasts will give them more timely and accurate evacuation alerts and help firefighters save more lives and property. 

Read Move About the Climate and Weather Programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

SPOTLIGHT: In October 2022, Sen. Cantwell visited Bolt Creek with local leaders and firefighters to help identify how federal funding could help residents recover from the Bolt Creek fire and prevent landslides and further damage to the western Washington region, which has burned more than 14,000 acres of land. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding could help states prevent and recover from wildfires like the Bolt Creek fire in the State of Washington.   

 
Sen. Cantwell assesses damage from the Bolt Creek fire in Washington 

SPOTLIGHT: Sen. Markey worked to include $3 billion in environmental justice block grants in the Inflation Reduction Act to address urban heat islands, extreme heat, community air monitoring and indoor toxins, similar to his Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act.  

“Twelve years ago, I watched my landmark climate legislation pass in the House and die in the Senate. Today, powered by a movement that never once wavered in the struggle for a livable future, I joined my Democratic colleagues in passing a bill that makes historic investments in climate justice and delivers the resources we need to have a fighting chance at a livable planet.” - Sen. Markey 

Protecting Our Air from Volcano Ash and Fumes:  

“Hawai‘i has six active volcanoes, including Mauna Loa and Klauea. As we all know in Hawai‘i, volcanic eruptions can be a real danger, so improving our warning systems can make a difference in keeping people safe. Our bipartisan bill…is a common-sense step to make sure the agencies tracking volcanoes have all available data to respond to threats on land, in the sea, and in the sky, and better protect families in our state.” - Sen. Schatz  

Sen. Schatz and Sen. Murkowski introduced the bipartisan Volcanic Ash and Fumes Act to update the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Volcano Early Warning System to require NOAA to share its volcanic gas and ash models, keeping first responders, residents and airplanes flying over the area safe during volcanic eruptions and their aftermath. The bill passed the Commerce Committee in May 2022 and was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2022. 

Read More About the Volcanic Ash and Fumes Act

Enhancing Wildfire Forecasting and Preparedness: 

“We know we will face a significant fire threat. Each year wildfires result in irreplaceable loss of life and homes and property. They destroy our crops and timber -- and obviously smoke damage.” - Sen. Cantwell 

For firefighters, forecasting and suppression tools are critical for preventing and responding to wildfires. For farmers, drought and wildfires combined caused an estimated $665 million loss to agricultural businesses in the State of Washington last year. 

Although NOAA is a major player in wildfire preparedness and response, the agency has no defined authority for wildfire services. 

That’s why Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Sullivan introduced the bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022 to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help prevent, forecast and fight wildfires. It would create a new fire weather services program within NOAA, authorize engagement in wildfire response activities and provide funding for science and technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and spread wildfires. The bill passed the Commerce Committee on May 25, 2022. The Committee will continue to work on this issue in the new Congress.

In June 2022, Sen. Cantwell visited the Spokane National Weather Service to talk about why NOAA should be a partner in fighting and preventing wildfires.

“Here at the Spokane National Weather Service, dedicated forecasters are constantly evaluating those weather conditions and the threat of fire. During last year's fire season, this office produced a record number of 1,193 spot forecasts needed to fight those fires. You cannot fight these fires without NOAA’s critical service. And when the wildfires occur, these brave men and women are deployed right along the first responders to ensure that the firefighters on the line have the best data and information they need to get the job done and to stay safe. We owe it to those firefighters to make sure that they have the very best data.” – Sen. Cantwell  

Read More About the Fire Ready Nation Act

Protecting our Coastlines from Oil Spills Through the Coast Guard Authorization Act:

“An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic for Michigan and the country — that’s why we must do everything possible to protect them for future generations and improve our preparedness.” - Sen. Peters 

Sen. Peters secured additional resources in the Coast Guard Authorization Act for the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of Expertise to establish a new Coast Guard program to improve oil spill response operations. Sen. Peters also recognized the need to improve the use of NOAA data to improve oil spill preparedness and response. As NOAA has begun incorporating new data on oil spills, the Coast Guard is now required to acquire this data to improve oil spill preparedness moving forward. 

Sen. Markey secured major bipartisan provisions that direct the Coast Guard to improve oil spill response by periodically reviewing and auditing vessel response plans, oil spill response drills and responses to oil spill incidents that require resources. 

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 became law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed in December 2022.