Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined EPW Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and their Republican colleagues on the committee in sending a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor expressing strong opposition to the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) decision to formally review Nationwide Permit (NWP) 12, the Corps’ general permit for oil or natural gas pipeline activities.
“The timing of your announcement to review NWP 12 is both disappointing and perplexing, considering the recent spike in energy prices and the rapid rise of inflation economy-wide, as well as the crisis in Ukraine and demand for American energy from our allies,” wrote the members. “Your decision to formally review NWP 12 is yet another example of creating unnecessary obstacles and uncertainty for development of critical energy projects. Complicated, time-consuming, and most importantly, unnecessary permitting processes remain one of the biggest hindrances to our nation’s infrastructure buildout. The decision to single out and review NWP 12 for oil and gas pipelines is purely political, as this policy action is not required by statute or any regulatory deadlines.”
Senator Cramer and Ranking Member Capito were joined on the letter by Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Richard Shelby (R-AL), John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Click here to read the letter.