Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe says some federal statutes are being misused to create delays and foster unproductive entrenchments against approving more energy pipelines in the country.
His claim made during a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on legislation proposed by Inhofe and Sen. Angus King to streamline the pipeline approval processes.
“Our infrastructure is failing us and we are falling behind our international competitors who can build out new infrastructure quicker, efficiently moving goods to market,” said the Senator. “We need to tackle new projects and we need to do more to maintain and upgrade existing infrastructure.”
He said delays in the permitting process happen too often and add significant costs and it’s why he authored S. 1844. Inhofe charged that the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act “by the previous administration has created a standard of delay and inefficiency—-preventing economic development.”
“Rather than allowing federal agencies, states and other agencies to act constructively together, these statutes are increasingly being misused to create delays and foster unproductive entrenchments,” said the Senator in his testimony. “Environmental reviews under NEPA have ballooned due, in part, to litigation fears, resulting in exhausting documents and protracted efforts that leave no pebble unturned.”
He made similar claims against the Clean Water act, saying it has lead to abuses.