Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on a discussion draft of the “Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore Act” or the “Astro Act.” The bill, which improves access to Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy resources through more reliable leasing and an improved revenue sharing framework with coastal states, is part of the Committee’s broader… Read more »
Today, the House passed H.R. 2937, the “Community Reclamation Partnerships Act.” Introduced by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), the bill authorizes partnerships between states and non-governmental entities for the purpose of expanding abandoned mine reclamation projects. The bill addresses impediments potential “Community Reclaimers” face in the reclamation process by allowing states to assume… Read more »
Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Perdue and Interior Secretary Zinke on mineral withdrawals.
The letter states, “[U]nder the prior administration, mineral access on Federal land was regularly and systemically blocked, harming our nation’s economic and strategic potential. Indeed, millions of acres of Federal lands were inappropriately… Read more »
TO: The Honorable Sonny Perdue and Ryan Zinke
FROM: Chairman Rob Bishop
Dear Secretaries Perdue and Zinke:
As you know, the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior are responsible for the protection and management of the natural resources of the United States. Under this mandate, the Departments administer approximately 700 million acres of Federal mineral estate in the United… Read more »
Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement on House passage of H.R. 3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018:
“This package builds on the administration’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy and promote regulatory certainty across the Department of the Interior and other federal land management agencies.”
H.R. 3354 includes policies and funding… Read more »
Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and 118 additional Members of Congress sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary Zinke requesting the Department of the Interior to include consideration of all Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands in the development of a new National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
“Just as today’s energy… Read more »
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a unanimous opinion that the U.S. Department of Energy conducted appropriate review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in its approval of the Freeport LNG export terminal project. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“Today’s opinion is a short-term victory. NEPA was created as a… Read more »
Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) rescinded the Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s (ONRR) “Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Rule.” Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“This rescindment is another important step by the Trump administration to position Interior as a facilitator of responsible energy development. I… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on three bills to bring greater certainty to the mining industry and shield economic development and energy projects from politically motivated actions.
“[T]he effects [of the Obama Administration’s coal moratorium] were felt most by the people in my state who lost good paying mining jobs and the… Read more »
