Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is among 10 Republican Senators who have come out against the Biden administration’s recent move for more restrictions under a Nation Wide Permit review, a move they contend will slow down pipeline construction in the middle of a growing energy crisis.
The Senators sent a letter to the administration saying, “Sadly, this decision follows other energy policies from this Administration that fly in the face of domestic and geopolitical realities.”
Inhofe and other GOP Senators, including Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), reacted against the Army Corps of Engineers review of the Nationwide Permit 12 for Oil or Natural Gas Pipeline Activities.
The corps review plan follows President Biden’s climate change executive order that mandated all federal agencies guarantee their work follows climate and environmental objectives. It will include a public review of pipeline projects.
The corps cited past concerns that environmental reviews for oil and gas pipelines didn’t adequately take into account environmental justice concerns.
The Senators made known their concerns in a letter to Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Michael Connor.
“Your decision to formally review NWP 12 is yet another
example of creating unnecessary obstacles and uncertainty for development of critical energy projects,” stated the Senators.
“Complicated, time-consuming, and most importantly, unnecessary permitting processes remain one of the biggest hindrances to our nation’s infrastructure buildout. The decision to single out and review NWP 12 for oil and gas pipelines is purely political, as this policy action is not required by statute or any regulatory deadlines.”
Source: POLITICO