Congressman Garamendi Secures Money for Travis Air Force Base Environmental Review, Will Help Base Progress toward AB 32 Climate Change Goals

FAIRFIELD, CA – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA) today is proud to announce that he has successfully secured $400,000 for Travis Air Force Base. The money originated in a 2009 Department of Defense appropriations request by then-Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, but it was about to be redirected away from Travis before Garamendi intervened.

The money will be used to develop an inventory of the base’s greenhouse gas footprint by utilizing a web-based Environmental Management information System (EMIS). The EMIS pilot program at Travis is based on successful Army EMIS projects that increased environmental efficiency and saved the government more than $1 billion. Garamendi expects that the EMIS program will create local jobs and help California reach its AB 32 climate change goals.

"Climate change is one of our nation’s most pressing national security issues. Travis Air Force Base, a critical base protecting American security, will have another opportunity to secure America’s defense with this money," said Congressman Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services and Science & Technology committees.

"By developing strategies to reduce Travis’s carbon footprint through the EMIS pilot program, the Air Force will also help California achieve its AB 32 climate change goals," Garamendi added. "We’ve had a rough patch in the economy, but one bright spot in California has been the rapid growth of our green technology sector. Our leadership in reducing greenhouse gases – at Travis and throughout the state – is a win for our economy and a win for our precious natural resources."

Congressman Garamendi represents Travis Air Force Base, home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing, which is the largest air mobility organization in the Air Force with a fleet of C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft and KC-10 Extender refueling aircraft, and is the largest employer in Solano County. The 10th Congressional District is home to thousands of active duty military personnel, veterans and their families.