Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on the circumstances leading to the current financial crisis faced by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the state-owned, self-regulated monopoly that operates as Puerto Rico’s public utility.
“Today we took a step forward to uncover the origins of Puerto Rico’s fiscal failures and identifying… Read more »
Today, the House, by a vote of 235-188, passed H.R. 1644, the Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act (STREAM Act). Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement:
“The Obama Administration’s development of the stream buffer zone rule exposes the President’s disdain for the rule of law and the concerns of people,” stated Chairman Bishop.… Read more »
Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) in a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General Arthur Elkins Jr., strongly questioned the timing and substance of interviews conducted two weeks ago by EPA officials with material witnesses that could compromise… Read more »
TO: Inspector General Arthur Elkins Jr.
FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman House Committee on Natural Resources
Louie Gohmert, Chairman Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Dear Inspector General Elkins:
On August 17, 2015, your office, the Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA") Office of Inspector General ("OIG"), sent a memorandum to EPA Region 8 Administrator Shaun… Read more »
Today, fifteen Congressmen sent a letter to Janice Schneider, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, expressing serious concerns with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) repeated postponement of lease sales. In particular, the Members raised concerns about the appearance of significant influence from special interest and environmental groups, which prompted… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative field hearing in Idaho Springs, Colorado on H.R. 3734, the “Mining Schools Enhancement Act,” introduced by Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-NV). This bill, in combination with H.R. 3843 (Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)), the “Locatable Minerals Claim Location and Maintenance Fees Act,” and H.R. 3844 (Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA)), the… Read more »
Yesterday the Senate passed S. 209, the “Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015,” a bill similar to H.R. 538, the “Native American Energy Act” that passed the House on October 8, 2015. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement:
“I am pleased the Senate has followed suit and acted on legislation to alleviate barriers that… Read more »
At yesterday’s oversight hearing on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Role in the EPA’s Animas Spill, both Republicans and Democrats on the Committee raised numerous questions about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) involvement with the peer review process of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) study on the EPA’s Animas spill, particularly in light of USACE’s technical… Read more »
TO: Lieutenant General Thomas Bostick
FROM: Louie Gohmert, Chairman Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Dear General Bostick:
On August 5, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") caused the spill of approximately 3 million gallons of contaminated mine water from the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colorado. The contaminated plume traveled through the Animas… Read more »
TO: The Honorable Gene Dodaro
FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman
Dear Mr. Dodaro:
On August 5, 2015, an Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") crew working at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado spilled approximately 3 million gallons of contaminated mine water into Cement Creek. The plume then flowed into the Animas River, a tributary of the San Juan River. Four states and… Read more »
