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Energy and Mineral Resources

Committee Passes Rep. Zinke’s “Certainty for States and Tribes Act”

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Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on four bills including H.R. 5259 (Rep. Ryan Zinke), the Certainty for States and Tribes Act.  The bill will reestablish the Department of the Interior’s Royalty Policy Committee. H.R. 5259 passed by a vote of 22-13.  “With the Obama Administration’s moratorium on all new federal coal leases, it is important…

Bishop Opening Statement on House-Senate Energy Conference Meeting

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Today, House and Senate conferees met for opening statements on S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “We need more Americans to share in the low prices afforded by American energy abundance. That includes improving the permitting process to allow rights-of-way across federal lands and getting affordable…

House Passes Bill to Modernize the Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Process

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Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5577, the “Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act,” by voice vote. Introduced by Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), it provides the Interior Secretary with the authority to conduct internet-based oil and natural gas lease sales for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.  “This bill brings much needed modernization to our…

House Passes Thompson Bill to Protect Private Mineral Rights in the Allegheny National Forest

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Tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3881 (Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson), the Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2016, by a vote of 395-3. In the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) the federal government owns the surface rights, but the subsurface mineral rights have always been privately owned. Through a liberal interpretation of an antiquated statute and a…

No Accountability One Year After the EPA-caused, DOI-approved Gold King Mine Disaster

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Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gold King Mine blowout near Silverton, Colorado. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “A year later, the Obama Administration still won’t tell us the whole truth. Accounts of events from Interior and EPA have been inconsistent and…

Rep. Gosar’s Bill Removes Barriers to Renewable Energy Development on Federal Lands

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Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on H.R. 2663, the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2015, which aims to streamline and facilitate increased development of renewable energy on federal land.    H.R. 2663 advances an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy by addressing the burdens facing solar, wind and geothermal energy…

Game-changing Mancos Shale Reserves in Colorado Handicapped by Regulatory Uncertainty

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 Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on the opportunities and challenges in developing the Mancos Shale of western Colorado, which constitutes the second largest gas reserve in the U.S. behind the Marcellus Shale. A June 2016 report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) found that the Mancos Shale contains more than 66 trillion cubic feet…

Arctic Rule Freezes Future Offshore Development

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Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released the finalized safety regulations for Arctic offshore drilling for both the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “This President continually gives Putin the upper hand. While other nations develop their offshore…

Rep. Graves’ Offshore Bill Modernizes Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Process

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Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on H.R. 5577, introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), the “Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act.” H.R. 5577, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), modernizes the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) offshore leasing process through the use of internet-based oil and natural gas…

Panel Reviews Bill to Give States and Tribes a Seat at the Table in Federal Royalty Decisions

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Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on Rep. Ryan Zinke’s (R-MT) “Certainty for States and Tribes Act” (H.R. 5259), legislation to reestablish the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Royalty Policy Committee (RPC) and create a more transparent and cooperative process in royalty management issues.   “It’s about a process where we look at…