US Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) announced on June 14 that he has reintroduced legislation aimed at preventing delays in US oil and natural gas pipelines and electric power lines that would cross the US borders with Canada or Mexico. He said that S. 3056 specifically would:
• Eliminate the Presidential Permit requirement for cross-border projects and put the decision making into the hands of appropriate agencies.
• Transfer the approval authority for cross-border oil pipelines from the US Department of State to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• Retain FERC authority over cross-border gas pipelines as well as US Department of Energy authority over cross-border electric transmission facilities.
• Impose a 90-day limit on FERC and DOE to either issue a certificate of crossing or deny a project approval following completion of the National Environmental Policy Act review process.
• Focus the federal review to the transmission project’s segment that crosses the border.
• Clarify that certain pipeline maintenance activities and modifications do not require a new crossing certificate.
• Not change state laws and regulations over siting, land acquisition, design and construction of projects, as well as the environmental assessments conducted by other federal agencies.
“Our nation needs robust investment in its infrastructure, especially if we are to accomplish the goal of making North America energy secure,” Hoeven said. “Our legislation would remove unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and help to ensure that projects are approved based on their merits.”
The Association of Oil Pipe Lines expressed strong support for the bill. While the Trump administration has eased problems temporarily, a permanent reform is needed, AOPL Pres. Andrew J. Black said. The bill would transfer approval authority for cross-border oil pipelines to FERC, which already reviews and approves gas pipeline cross-border permits promptly and efficiency, he noted.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].