Senate panel rejects US refinery help bill

摘要

The US Senate Environment Committee failed to pass a Republican-backed refinery and fuels bill Oct 26,making passage this session of legislation to address soaring gasoline prices in the wake of recent Gulf hurricanes exceedingly unlikely.Panel members voted 9 to 9,and therefore rejected the bill sponsored by committee chairman James Inhofe (Republican-Oklahoma) that would have streamlined refinery permitting processing by setting a deadline of 270 days for the Environmental Protection Agency to approve or deny permits for new refineries and 90 days for refinery expansions.