House Committee Passes Rahall Bill to ‘Rein In’ EPA
Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.
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The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bipartisan bill June 22 aimed at “reining in the EPA’s overreach.”
House Bill 2018, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, was introduced by Reps. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and John Mica, R-Fla., and will help speed up the permitting process as it relates to coal mines. According to a press release issued by Rahall’s office, the Environmental Protection Agency has “imposed new criteria for permits that have stymied the process.”
“Rather than paving the way toward balance, the EPA’s actions in recent months have enabled the tension of divided opinion over surface coal mining to fracture what should be a cooperative relationship among the federal and state agencies with permitting responsibility,” Rahall said.
The bill is a reaction to the EPA’s controversial veto of a surface mine permit at Logan County’s Spruce Mine in January. The bill would place limits on the EPA’s ability to veto permits previously issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, as was the case in Logan County. It would also establish time limits for agency comments and reduce delays in the permitting process.
“It would be better if they followed the rules and did not try to change the law through guidance and Memos of Understanding,” Rahall said. “But when they do, when they abuse their powers, the Congress has the constitutional responsibility to serve as a check on them. This is clearly such a time.”
This is not the only bill sponsored by a West Virginia representative to target the EPA. U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., took aim at the agency in May when she introduced the Employment Protection Act, which would require the EPA to show how it considers economic impact when issuing a regulation.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., supports legislation in the Senate to control the EPA. The REINS Act would require Congressional approval for any regulation that would have a significant impact on the economy. Manchin signed on as a supporter following American Electric Power’s announcement it would close three coal-fired power plants in West Virginia in order to comply with EPA regulations.
“The EPA may claim that it is following the law and only ‘assisting’ the states, but the reality is that the agency is strong-arming the states, just as it is muscling in on the jurisdiction of other federal agencies,” Rahall said.
He said the EPA is “imposing its own will” and interpretations of regulations, such as water quality standards, and insisting states adhere to them.
“It has drawn a line in the sand and is daring the states to cross over.”
Source: WOWK News
