Government

摘要

The pipeline approval "speed up" bill hit some speed bumps on July 9. At hearings in a House subcommittee, the unofficial "pipeline" commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) noted some potential unintended consequences that might occur if the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act (H.R. 1900) as initially written becomes law. The bill was proposed by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS). It essentially requires FERC to approve or deny a pipeline application 12 months after a certificate has been submitted. Various federal agencies that have jurisdictional concerns, generally environmental worries, would have to either approve or deny a permit within 90 days after FERC completes its environmental review. If an agency such as the Bureau of Land Management or the Corps of Engineers, for example, fails to make a determination one way or the other, the permit would be considered granted.