Natural Resources
Committee Leaders Request a 120-Day Extension to EPA’s Proposed Rule
On Friday, February 17, 2017, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) sent a letter to Acting Administrator McCabe at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting an extension to the comment period for the proposed rule, “Financial Responsibility Requirements Under CERCLA §108(b) for Classes of Facilities in the Hardrock Mining Industry,” that was published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2017.
Bill Protecting Property Rights in Texas and Oklahoma Passes House
The House passed H.R. 428 (Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-TX), the Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act, to end decades of confusion over the true boundary between Texas and Oklahoma and bring certainty to landowners along the Red River. The bill passed by a vote of 250-171.
House Repeal of Duplicative BLM Methane Rule Helps People, Protects Jobs
The House passed H.J. Res 36 sponsored by Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT). This joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) will repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule on methane emissions from oil and gas operations on federal and Indian land.
Chairmen Bishop and Barrasso Take Aim at Methane Rule under Congressional Review Act
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced H. J. Res. 36 and S. J. Res 11. These are joint resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act related to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule on methane emissions from oil and gas operations on federal and Indian land. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and states already regulate methane emissions from oil and gas sources.
Bishop Reaction to Trump Actions on Keystone XL, Dakota Access Pipelines
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s actions related to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines
DOI’s Dam Plan Undermines Hydropower
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Deputy Secretary Mike Connor announced the final Record of Decision for Glen Canyon Dam's Long-term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP). The Glen Canyon Dam’s reservoir is located in both Arizona and Utah. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement
Cantwell Statement on $1B Investment in Clean Energy Technologies
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, made the following statement on the formation of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investor-led fund that will invest more than $1 billion in early stage and growth companies for clean technologies
Bishop Statement on Senate Passage of WIIN Act
Early this morning, the Senate passed S. 612 (Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX), the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act” (WIIN), by a vote of 78-21. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement
Bipartisan WIIN Act Passes House
The House passed the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act” (WIIN) by a vote of 360-61. Provisions from the House Committee on Natural Resources included in the bill will bring drought relief for California and the West, by expanding water storage and delivery, and bring forth long-term water resolutions to Indian reservations. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
House Passes Bipartisan “National Park Service Centennial Act”
The House passed H.R. 4680, the “National Park Service Centennial Act” (Chairman Rob Bishop, R-UT), bipartisan legislation to equip the National Park Service (NPS) with the tools to better manage and promote our national parks.
WRDA Agreement Delivers for Drought-Stricken West
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement on the Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation (WIIN) Act, a comprehensive water resources agreement set for consideration this week on the House
Federal Lands Freedom Act Empowers State Energy Development
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on H.R. 866 (Rep. Diane Black), the “Federal Lands Freedom Act of 2015.” This bill will delegate control over responsible energy exploration to states.
Administration More Interested in Destroying Dams than Generating Affordable Hydroelectricity
Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve the destruction of four dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement
Obama Administration is Exploiting Native Americans to Advance Their Extreme Environmental Agenda
The U.S. Departments of the Army, the Interior and Justice invited tribal leaders to participate in government-to-government consultations on infrastructure permitting. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statemen
National Park Service Awards $1.5 Million in LWCF Grants for Park Improvements in Washington
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) applauded the National Park Service’s (NPS) announcement of more than $1.5 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grants to fund new park construction and to improve park facilities at three sites in the state of Washington
Obama Administration’s Final NEPA Guidance: Litigation Blueprint For Radical Special Interest Groups
The House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing on the impacts of the Obama Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) controversial Final Guidance for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
