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With just days to go before the 117th Congress, outgoing U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, introduced a measure that would ease the pipeline permitting process.
The Energy Security Pipeline Permitting Act has been described as creating regulatory certainty for the construction of natural gas pipelines across the United States. Specifically, it would authorize the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which stretches 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia.
Completion of this pipeline could create greater access to natural gas from Pennsylvania.
“It is long past time to end the exploitation of antiquated laws to prevent the construction of pipelines, which are the safest and most efficient way to transport natural gas, by activists and politicians who cater to them,” Toomey said in a statement. “The obstruction of common sense, essential energy infrastructure projects has resulted in higher energy costs, increased global reliance on energy produced by tyrants like Vladimir Putin, and ironically prevented increased distribution of the energy source most responsible for reducing US greenhouse gas emissions.”
The Senate’s session days are almost over and the bill will expire at the end of the year, but an aide said it was introduced as a stand-alone bill and hoped to add to the conversation already underway about the permit. Several stakeholder groups support the language in Toomey’s bill, and there is significant interest in moving forward on permitting reform both inside and outside Congress, the aide said.

Toomey will be replaced by Democrat John Fetterman, who has spoken both for and against the gas industry.
House will bring it up to the next session
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, has introduced a bill that follows Toomey’s proposal and is expected to pursue it next session.

“Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas, and I am committed to ensuring that the Keystone State can continue to serve as an energy leader in the United States and around the world,” Kelly said in a statement. “The Biden administration has created so many burdensome regulations on our domestic energy production during his first two years in office, driving up costs and reducing the value of Americans’ hard-earned dollars.” This legislation eases regulatory requirements so that pipelines can transport that gas from Pennsylvania to the northeastern United States, ultimately lowering energy costs for families and businesses. I thank Senator Toomey for his concerted effort to ensure that Pennsylvania can lead America’s energy comeback.”
Specifically, the Energy Security Pipeline Permits Act would:
• Limit state government from delaying pipeline construction by setting specific timelines for reviewing the Clean Water Act.
• Clarify factors unrelated to water quality that are not considered in the Clean Water Act revision process.
• Provide a clear scope of navigable waters included in the Clean Water Act review.
• Protect the use of general permits to prevent duplication of construction reviews along the same pipeline.
• Streamline the National Environmental Policy Act review process for major federal projects.
• Prevent expansion of Endangered Species Act qualifications to interfere with pipeline infrastructure.
• Shorten the standard Endangered Species Act consultation timeframes and create a new expedited consultation process for projects proven to cause minimal impact.
“The Biden administration implemented tough, excessive regulations that hampered American energy production during a period of record inflation and energy prices overall,” Kelly’s communications director, Matt Knodler, told The Epoch Times.
“We’re working to make it easier to produce clean natural gas and lower energy costs so hard-working Americans can save money.” “Furthermore, with Republicans now in the majority in the House of Representatives, we are making good on our promise to craft legislation that increases America’s energy production and lowers costs for Americans,” Knoedler said.
“We’re also interested in working on this topic in the 118th Congress if it’s not included in the deal this year, so there are, in our eyes, several paths for this legislation.”
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