Bill to quicken permit decision on gas pipelines

Earlier this week, the US House of Representatives voted to speed up the permitting process for natural gas pipelines by imposing strict deadlines on the federal agencies responsible for their review and licensing.

HR 1900

The House voted 252-165 to approve the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, HR 1900, which was introduced by Republican Mike Pompeo. The bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to meet a 12 month deadline for approving or rejecting proposed pipeline projects. All other federal agencies responsible for licensing pipeline would have to act within 90 days after FERC releases its environment report.

In a statement released this week, Pompeo said, "This bill ensures that America's revolution in energy production reaches more households and factories across the country, keeping homes warm, factories humming and utility bills low, all the while cutting needless red tape."

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America said, "Providing clear permitting deadline authority will add certainty to the process and encourage timely decision making."

Opposition to the bill

Despite the bill's victory in the House of Representatives, there is no companion legislation in the Senate. Senator Rob Wyden has indicated his unwillingness to consider a pipeline permitting bill with a hard deadline.

Earlier this week, The White House expressed concerns over the bill. "The bill's requirement could force agencies to make decisions based on incomplete information or information that may not be available within the stringent deadlines, and to deny applications that otherwise would have been approved, but for the lack of sufficient review time...For these reasons, the bill may actually delay projects or lead to more project denials, undermining the intent of the legislation."

Pompeo's spokesman J.P. Friere dismissed criticism, claiming the time-frame was essential, not arbitrary. "The 90 day deadline is taken in part from existing FERC regulations [...] This just gives the deadline teeth."

Edited from various sources by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/22112013/bill_to_quicken_permit_decision_on_gas_pipelines/