President Joe Biden is unveiling a series of new actions to protect Americans from extreme heat conditions, as communities around the country continue to struggle with record high temperatures and the lingering effects of Canadian wildfires.
(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden is unveiling a series of new actions to protect Americans from extreme heat conditions, as communities around the country continue to struggle with record high temperatures and the lingering effects of Canadian wildfires.
Biden has asked the Department of Labor to issue a hazard alert, reaffirming that workers have heat-related protections under federal law, according to the White House.
As part of the alert, the DOL will provide information on what employers should do to protect workers from extreme heat and ensure employees are aware of their rights. The agency will also ramp up enforcement of heat-safety violations and increase inspections in high-risk industries such as construction and agriculture.
Biden will detail the DOL actions and other steps at the White House on Thursday, where he will be joined by Mayors Kate Gallego of Phoenix, Arizona; and Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio, Texas, to hear firsthand how communities are being affected by the extreme temperatures.
Record temperatures across the country have impacted more than 100 million Americans. The US has also been suffering from the effects of unprecedented wildfires in Canada, which blanketed east coast cities with toxic smoke and led to air quality alerts in multiple states.Â
Biden will also announce that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investing up to $7 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to improve weather predictions and that the Department of the Interior is investing $152 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to bring clean drinking water to communities across the West.
The Interior investments will increase water storage capacity and lay pipeline to deliver drinking water to communities most impacted by drought.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that tackling climate change has been one of Biden’s primary goals since he took office.
Some progressive lawmakers and activists have called on the president to declare a climate emergency.
An emergency declaration would unlock sweeping executive powers, including blocking crude oil exports and placing other limits on fossil fuels. Biden considered the move last summer but ultimately decided against it.
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