'We Need A Full Investigation': Huffman Blasts Trump Admin's Handling Of The Grand Canyon Wild Fires

5 months ago

During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing in July, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) called for the Trump administration's handling of wildfires that are burning around the Grand Canyon to be investigated.

Transcript

00:00I recognize the gentleman from Colorado, Mr. Crank, for purpose of offering an

00:05amendment designated Gosar 44. Without objection, the amendment is considered red.

00:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer this amendment, Gosar 44, on behalf of my

00:15colleague from Arizona. In response to the tragic Dragon Bravo wildfire that

00:21it's wreaking havoc on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, this common-sense

00:26amendment will ensure that land managers prioritize protecting critical

00:31infrastructure threatened by wildfires. The Dragon Bravo wildfire was foolishly

00:37allowed to burn in the peak of Arizona's summer for several days before any sort

00:43of federal response. And unsurprisingly, this fire is now torched over 12,700 acres

00:51and it's destroyed over 80 buildings, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge.

00:57The fire also leveled a water treatment facility, sending plumes of toxic and

01:03potentially fatal chlorine gas billowing into the air. You heard that right,

01:09because land managers let this fire burn toxic chlorine gas poured into the Grand

01:16Canyon. The National Park Service was forced to close multiple nearby areas,

01:20including the Inner Canyon and several popular trails. They also had to evacuate

01:26firefighters from the North Rim, exacerbating this already dangerous

01:31situation. Chairman Gosar's amendment, which I am proud to offer on his behalf,

01:36will require federal land managers to act within 24 hours when a wildfire is

01:42within five miles of a federal facility that houses water, energy or wildfire

01:49suppression materials. This is a common sense requirement that will greatly reduce

01:54the risk of similar disasters occurring in the future. Now this is certainly an

01:59important change that will benefit not only communities in Arizona and my home

02:04state of Colorado, but across the West. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention

02:10that until we address the root cause of this problem, our dire forest health crisis, we

02:17will continue to put communities and our cherished public lands in harm's way.

02:24That's why I am a proud supporter of the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, as well as

02:29other important pieces of forest management legislation being considered today. It's critical that we

02:35aggressively respond to wildfires in our most at-risk areas, and to protect our

02:42communities, as well as our critical infrastructure. And this amendment and the

02:46underlying bill will ensure that we do just that. I urge my colleagues to vote

02:51yes on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

02:55The gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion on the amendment? Mr. Huffman, you're recognized.

03:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So I oppose the amendment offered by my colleague from

03:06Arizona, and I know that he is proposing this in response to the devastating Dragon

03:11Bravo fire that burned the North Rim of the Grand Canyon earlier this month and

03:15is still burning. It has been devastating to see the impacts of that fire, and I

03:20agree with him that we need a full investigation into this administration's

03:25response and handling of that fire. That's why I sent letters earlier this week

03:30calling for transparency and accountability. These are foreign words to the

03:35Trump administration, but we should demand it anyway. It's why I have asked the

03:39inspector general to open an investigation into how the wildfire response was

03:44handled, because something clearly went wrong, something broke down. But Mr. Gosar's

03:49amendment won't help deliver the accountability people deserve. Worse, it

03:55could actually endanger firefighter safety in some circumstances by forcing them into

04:00situations where suppression could be catastrophically unsafe. Now, most of the

04:06attention paid to this fire has been on the Grand Canyon Lodge, and rightfully so. It's a

04:11historic, important place that's been at the heart of the Grand Canyon experience for

04:15many Americans. Less attention has been paid to the fire that occurred at a water

04:20treatment facility nearby. And according to Park Service, the Park Service, there were

04:26actually major safety concerns with suppressing the fire in that area. I will

04:31quote from their press release, this is the Trump administration's press release,

04:35aerial bucket drops were conducted to slow fire movement near the Lodge.

04:39However, the use of aerial retardant was not feasible due to a chlorine gas leak at

04:44the water treatment facility, which required the evacuation of firefighting

04:48personnel from critical zones nearby. End quote. Now, this sort of raises a point

04:55that is important in considering the blunt instrument of this bill. There are

05:02situations like this where there would be a real chance of an explosive reaction

05:06if fire retardants were to mix with chlorine gas. This amendment would require that

05:14they go ahead with suppression anyway. A one-day response in those exact

05:19circumstances, a one-size-fits-all approach that could needlessly force

05:25firefighters to walk into chemical explosions. I don't think any of us want

05:29to see that, and that's why we need legislation that is more thoughtfully

05:34crafted and more carefully written. For their safety, for the safety of

05:39communities they serve, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield back.

05:44Further discussion on the amendment?

05:46I recognize myself. I do support this amendment and would like to commend Chairman

05:52Gosar for his leadership in response to the Dragon Bravo fire affecting the

05:56North Rim of the Grand Canyon. What this amendment will do is ensure that the

06:00appropriate precautions are taken to protect critical infrastructure that's

06:04threatened by wildfires. Specifically, this amendment would require federal land

06:09managers to identify federal facilities that house water, energy, or wildfire

06:13suppression materials within five miles of a fire's perimeter. The land managers are

06:20further required to take necessary actions to protect those facilities. Sadly, we're

06:26witnessing the need for this amendment in real time in Arizona, as has been

06:30mentioned, with the Dragon Bravo fire that has destroyed a water treatment

06:35facility on the North Rim, and it released chlorine gas that is heavier than air, so

06:41the hazardous gas settled quickly into the canyon. This prompted the National Park

06:46Service to evacuate firefighters and close numerous trails that were otherwise

06:51unaffected by the fire. By not aggressively attacking fires at initial ignition, we are

06:57risking economic and ecological calamities. Destroyed multi-million dollar water

07:03treatment facilities and toxic gas leaks are outcomes that should simply be

07:08unacceptable. This will help prevent such dangers from occurring in the future

07:13and be requiring our federal land managers to identify and respond to imminent

07:17wildfire threats to critical infrastructure. We can make sure that disasters like the

07:22Dragon Bravo fire are minimized or avoided. Again, I urge my colleagues to

07:27support the thoughtful amendment from Representative Gozar and I yield back the

07:30balance of my time. Is there further discussion on the amendment?

07:37There's no further discussion. The question is on the amendment offered by

07:40Mr. Crank, designated Gozar 44. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

07:45Aye. Those opposed, no. No.

07:47In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is agreed to.

'We Need A Full Investigation': Huffman Blasts Trump Admin's Handling Of The Grand Canyon Wild Fires

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