115th Congress on energy and the environment, 2017-2018
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In President Donald Trump's first year, Congress passed legislation to repeal the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's 2016 rule revising federal land management practices and to repeal a rule issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior to require 100-foot buffer zones between streams and coal mining sites. The two repeal bills were both signed by President Trump. On May 10, 2017, the U.S. Senate rejected a House-passed resolution to repeal the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's 2016 rule to regulate the flaring and venting of methane from oil and natural gas sites on federal land. Other bills considered by Congress included a delay in the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2015 ozone standard and the streamlining of federal approval authority over interstate natural gas pipelines.
Congressional votes on energy and environmental policy topics are summarized below below.
Congressional activity on energy and environmental policy
Federal land
Planning 2.0 rule
- March 27, 2017: President Trump signed a repeal of the Planning 2.0 rule.[1]
- March 7, 2017: The U.S. Senate passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to reverse the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 2016 rule revising federal land planning and management procedures. The rule would have changed federal procedures on public participation in BLM decisions and the use of data and technology in mining, drilling, and logging decisions. The resolution was passed by a vote of 51 to 48. President Trump signed the repeal into law on March 27, 2017.[2]
- February 8, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to reverse the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 2016 rule revising federal land planning and management procedures. The rule would have changed federal procedures on public participation in BLM decisions and the use of data and technology in mining, drilling, and logging decisions. The resolution passed by a vote of 234 to 186.[1]
Natural gas pipelines
- July 19, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 248-179 to streamline the federal permitting process for approving interstate natural gas pipelines. The bill would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold all permitting responsibilities for approving interstate natural gas pipelines and increase coordination among federal and state agencies involved in the process. The bill would also require them to finalize decisions on natural gas pipelines 90 days after an environmental impact report is published.[3][4]
- July 19, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 254-175 to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) primary authority over permitting all oil and natural gas pipelines that cross the U.S. border with Mexico or Canada. The bill would remove federal authority from the U.S. Department of State to approve cross-border pipelines and would end the requirement that such pipelines require a presidential permit to be approved.[3][4]
Ozone standards
- July 18, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 229-119 to delay implementation of the federal ground-level ozone (smog) standard for 70 parts per billion (ppb), which was issued by the EPA under the Obama administration in October 2015. The bill would delay the standard's implementation until the year 2025 and would require the EPA to reconsider the federal ozone standard every 10 years instead of every five years.[5]
Methane regulation
- May 10, 2017: The U.S. Senate rejected the resolution under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's rule on the venting and flaring of methane from natural gas wells on federal land. The Senate rejected the resolution by a 51-49 vote.[6]
- February 3, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's rule on the venting and flaring of methane from natural gas wells on federal land. The rule would limit methane releases from natural gas wells and limit flaring, a process by which flammable natural gas is burned under controlled conditions during natural gas production. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 221 to 191.[7]
- January 30, 2017: Sen. John Barrasso (R) introduced a resolution to repeal federal regulations on the venting and flaring of methane at new and existing oil and natural gas operations. The regulations require oil and gas producers to limit methane emissions from wells, pumps, and compressors as well as along the routes used to transport oil and natural gas. Rep. Rob Bishop (R) introduced a similar resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.[8]
Stream buffer rule
- February 3, 2017: The U.S. Senate passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Stream Protection Rule, which required 100-foot buffer zones between streams and coal mining sites. In addition, the rule required coal mining companies to restore streams to their pre-mining conditions after mining is completed. The Senate passed the resolution by a vote of 54 to 45. President Trump signed the repeal into law on February 16, 2017.[9]
- February 1, 2017: The U.S. House of Representatives voted for a resolution under the Congressional Review Act disapproving of the Interior Department’s Stream Protection Rule, which required 100-foot buffer zones between streams and coal mining sites. In addition, the rule required coal mining companies to restore streams to their pre-mining conditions after mining is completed. The resolution passed by a vote of 228 to 194. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to reverse new federal regulations within 60 legislative days of their finalization.[10]
- January 30, 2017: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) introduced a resolution to repeal the Stream Protection Rule, which required 100-foot buffer zones between streams and coal mining sites. In addition, the rule required coal mining companies to restore streams to their pre-mining conditions after mining is completed.[8]
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Hill, "House passes bill to block Obama land planning rule," February 7, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate passes bill ending Obama-era land rule," March 7, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bloomberg BNA, "House Votes for More Energy Regulator Authority Over Pipelines," July 19, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Washington Examiner, "House votes to give FERC new power over pipelines," July 19, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "House votes to roll back Obama-era ozone standards," July 18, 2017
- ↑ Washington Post, "Senate unexpectedly rejects bid to repeal a key Obama-era environmental regulation," May 10, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "House votes to overturn Obama drilling rule," February 3, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Washington Examiner, "GOP lines up to scrap midnight energy rules," January 30, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate votes to block Obama coal rule," February 3, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "House votes to strike down two Obama-era rules," February 1, 2017
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