U.S. EPA chief defends big energy projects, says climate not top priority
Source: Reuters
POLITICS APRIL 11, 2019 / 5:58 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
U.S. EPA chief defends big energy projects, says climate not top priority
Timothy Gardner, Valerie Volcovici
5 MIN READ
(Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will unveil a proposal to speed state-level permitting decisions for energy infrastructure projects soon, the agency’s chief told Reuters on Thursday, blasting states that have blocked coal terminals and gas pipelines on environmental grounds.
President Donald Trump is seeking to boost domestic fossil fuels production over the objections of Democrats and environmentalists concerned about pollution and climate change. On Wednesday he issued a pair of executive orders targeting the power of states to delay energy projects.
“We started working on it in advance, so we hope to have something out soon,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an interview. He was unable to provide a precise timeline.
Based on Trump’s orders, Wheeler’s EPA has been tasked with clarifying a section of the U.S. Clean Water Act that has allowed states like New York and Washington to delay projects in recent years.
New York has used the section to delay pipelines that would bring natural gas to New England, for example, and Washington state has stopped coal export terminals that would open the Asian market for struggling coal companies in Wyoming and other landlocked western states.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-wheeler-interview/u-s-epa-chief-defends-big-energy-projects-says-climate-not-top-priority-idUSKCN1RN2Z9
