Anna Aurilio

Director of the Washington Office of Environment America (since January 2009)

(Environment America)

Why She Matters

It's hard to miss Aurilio. The director of Environment America's D.C. office has been described as a "ubiquitous" presence on Capitol Hill. "If Congress passes a climate change bill," The Hill wrote, "some credit will be due to her tireless advocacy."

It's high praise for a woman who has spent most of her life advocating for stronger environmental protections. After graduating from University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in environmental engineering, Aurilio took a position with the Public Interest Research Group's environmental organization.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Staff Scientist, National Environmental Law Center; Staff Scientist, PIRGs' National Litigation Project
Hometown: Woburn, Mass.
Alma Mater: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, B.S. (physics), 1986; Massachusettes Institute of Technology, M.S. (environmental engineering), 1992

Office: 218 D Street SE, Washington, DC 20003;(202) 683-1250
Email
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Path to Power

Aurilio grew up in Woburn, Mass., which became infamous for corporate toxic waste dumping that made its way into groundwater, severely sickening some residents. The long legal battle over the issue was depicted in the best-selling book "A Civil Action" and the subsequent movie starring John Travolta. "When I was in high school, some of my colleagues were undergoing treatment for leukemia," Aurilio recalled.

Aurilio studied to become a scientist. She decided to become involved in environmental issues because "I quickly realized that the environment was one place where scientists were sorely needed."

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The Issues

Aurilio is one of the most frequently-quoted skeptics of the proposed expansion of U.S. nuclear power. Despite the nuclear industry's contention that its plants have become safer and more efficient since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident near Harrisburg, Pa., she said its use still presents a dangerous safety problem. She cites recent leaks of tritium at some reactor sites.

Aurilio also says that nuclear power isn't cost-effective and won't be able to address global warming in time to make a serious dent on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "We're looking for the quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to cut global warming," she said. "When you look at nuclear power plants -- big, small, medium, plants of any size -- they're still a problem."

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Aurilio advocates reducing global warming through such measures as establishing a greenhouse-gas emission standard for cars; investing in mass transit and cleaner transportation infrastructure; mandating a national renewable electricity standard of at least 25 percent by 2025; and eliminating incentives for fuels such as oil shale, tar sands and liquified coal.

Energy Efficiency

Aurilio says more research and investment into energy efficient buildings, appliances and other projects is "the number one thing we've been calling for." She says it can make an enormous difference in cutting energy consumption as well as reduce global warming.

Her organization calls for saving energy by promoting high-performance buildings so that all new buildings are net- zero energy by 2030, and rewarding states that meet or exceed the strongest model building energy codes.

CAFE Standards

Aurilio has long been an advocate for increasing Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for automobiles and light trucks. She noted that when they first went into effect in 1975, raising the standard over time from 14 miles per gallon to around 27.5 miles per gallon, it led to dramatic savings in oil and money over the next decade. But she said pressure from the auto industry on Congress prevented action for many years after that.

Parks and Open Spaces

Aurilio's group opposes mountaintop coal mining and gas drilling in sensitive areas. It seeks to protect pristine areas of national forests by supporting legislation to conserve roadless areas and banning logging, mining and development.

Oceans and Waterways

Aurilio's group seeks to establish new and expand existing marine sanctuaries, reinstating a moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling and increasing compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Aurilio said the spring 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP oil drilling rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was a sign that governments need to keep a sharp eye on extractive industries. "If there's a lesson from this, it's that we should not believe industry when it says they can deal with the worst-case scenario," she said.

The Network

Aurilio works closely with a number of Democrats in Congress. Among them are House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts on energy issues. She also works with Arizona's Raul Grijalva on land-preservation issues and California's Lois Capps on oil drilling.

In the Senate, Aurilio's allies include Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer of California along with Oregon's Jeff Merkley, Vermont's Bernie Sanders and New Jersey's Robert Menendez.

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Additional Resources