On The Hill

Trump Signs Conservation Bill

On Friday (Oct. 30), President Trump signed S. 3051, America’s Conservation Enhancement Act, into law. The bipartisan package extends some existing conservation programs as well as creates a few new ones.^[1]

The bill was authored by Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE).

“It’s a great example of what can be accomplished when Republicans and Democrats work together to get something done,” Barrasso said in a statement.

“This collaborative effort between federal agencies, local partners, and various stakeholders demonstrates that inclusive conservation yields lasting results,” Carper said.

To view a press release and summary by the Senate EPW Committee, click here.

 

Barrett Confirmed

On Monday (Oct. 26) evening, the Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court by a vote of 52-48. Less than one hour after the roll call, President Trump hosted a swearing-in ceremony with Justice Clarence Thomas.

At the ceremony, Barrett emphasized her responsibility to rule without regard to her policy views.

Barrett began work as an Associate Justice on Tuesday (Oct. 27).

 

COVID-19 Stimulus

Bipartisan Negotiations

Negotiations over a COVID-19 stimulus package stalled once again this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Thursday (Oct. 29) and said she was “still awaiting” replies from the White House on multiple items of “critical importance.” Mnuchin responded and said Pelosi was misrepresenting the status of the talks.

Both the White House and Pelosi have signaled they want to restart talks after the election.

Record numbers of new infections in the U.S. and the threat of winter economic restrictions have already started to impact the economy.

House GOP Leaders Release COVID-19 Bill

On Friday (Oct. 30), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Ways and Means Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), and Appropriations Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX) released H.R. 14, the “Commitment to Defeat the Virus and Keep America Healthy Act.”

The legislation provides a series of targeted proposals on pandemic preparedness, domestic manufacturing and supply chains, the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), public health infrastructure, COVID-19 health disparities, and COVID-19 health impacts on mental health and substance use.

To view a section-by-section summary, click here.

To view the legislative text, click here.

 

Offshore Wind Partnership

This week, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R), Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D), and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) announced a new partnership that will enhance regional collaboration among the states in pursuit of expanding the offshore wind industry.

The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Transformative Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Resources (SMART-POWER) will align each state’s strengths and best practices to amplify growth in the offshore wind sector.

“We applaud Governors Cooper, Northam and Hogan on this important partnership” Katharine Kollins, President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, said.

“The offshore wind industry presents an enormous economic opportunity, and it will take collaborative efforts like this to ensure that we maximize the supply chain and clean energy benefits for the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions,” she added.

The announcement comes after the states have shown resource potential for the development of offshore wind.

To view the announcement, click here.

 

ANWR

The Department of Interior is currently processing a proposal for oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The application was filed by the Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation, a private company formed by members of the Native tribe in the area of ANWR where drilling is being proposed.

If approved, the permit would be the first for large-scale oil exploration in the ANWR’s 10-02 region. Various environmental groups, tribes, and individual states are fighting against efforts to open the area for exploration.^[2]

 

Global News

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan announced a new fund to assist oil and gas companies reduce methane emissions. The C$750 million fund is part of the federal government’s response to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

O’Regan said cutting methane will help make Canada more competitive as it seeks to achieve net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.

“We have the third-largest supply of oil in the world, but it will not do us a bit of good if people don’t want to buy from a jurisdiction that they think is not doing enough to combat climate change,” he said.^[3]

 

EPA

New Lawsuit

On Thursday (Oct. 29), a coalition of environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an effort to force it to update rules that govern industrial flares used to reduce pollution from gas refineries, gasoline terminals, chemical plants, landfills, and other facilities.

The groups are led by the Environmental Integrity Project. They argue that the rules’ technical requirements are outdated and do not represent the Clean Air Act’s mandate to reduce pollution to the “best achievable degree.”

The lawsuit requests the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to give EPA deadlines to either update the flare standards or declare revisions unnecessary. Either result could be challenged once complete.^[4]

Methane Limits

On Monday (Oct. 26), a split panel from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said it will not block EPA’s recission of methane rules for the oil and gas industry. The move lifts regulatory constraints on the sector prior to the court case over the legality of the agency’s earlier decision.

The panel-ordered briefing will start in December. EPA’s first brief is due on Jan. 6, and its final brief is due Feb. 10. A change in administrations could cause complications for the case.^[5]

 

References

^[1] Doyle, Michael. “Trump signs conservation bill — with a caveat.” E&E PM, 30 Oct. 2020. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/23b18837/ImB6UNHOMUCltjYLxAftlA?u=https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2020/10/30/stories/1063717473

^[2] Lefebvre, Ben. “Interior processing application for ANWR oil exploration.” Politico Pro, 23 Oct. 2020. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/4e6d8f58/lS3DAiy8BkKkeb60Kk2FTA?u=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2020/10/interior-processing-application-for-anwr-oil-exploration-2012751

^[3] Forrest, Maura. “Ottowa launches new methane fund.” Politico Pro, 29 Oct. 2020. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/390b01ad/2rUcFieKuECR8CAAlwWfVg?u=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2020/10/ottawa-launches-new-methane-fund-2015410

^[4] Guillén, Alex. “Greens sue to force EPA update to industrial flare rules.” Politico Pro, 29 Oct. 2020. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c0845d97/WlOiWAf4VEKJU9yVFf3Ttg?u=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2020/10/greens-seek-to-force-epa-update-to-industrial-flare-rules-2015143

^[5] Guillén, Alex. “Split court won’t freeze Trump EPA’s repeal of methane limits.” Politico Pro, 30 Oct. 2020. https://link.edgepilot.com/s/b00c6d35/iDSIXlSfUUGVtRD5WGxPMQ?u=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2020/10/split-court-wont-freeze-trump-epas-repeal-of-methane-limits-3984879