Reducing Regulatory Obstacles to Wind Energy Production Act

To facilitate the development of wind energy resources on Federal lands. 1. Short title This Act may be cited at the Reducing Regulatory Obstacles to Wind Energy Production Act 2. Onshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project (a) Definition of meteorological site testing and monitoring project In this section, the term meteorological site testing and monitoring project (1) causes— (A) less than 1 acre of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device; and (B) not more than 5 acres of soil or disruption within the proposed right-of-way for the project; (2) is installed— (A) to the maximum extent practicable, using existing access roads; (B) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than 1 installation activity and 1 decommissioning activity along an identified off-road route approved by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management or Chief of the Forest Service; (C) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing minor drainage crossings for safety purposes; and (D) without the use of digging or drilling equipment vehicles other than rubber-tired vehicles with gross weight ratings under 8,500 pounds; (3) is decommissioned not more than 5 years after the date of commencement of the project, including— (A) removal of any towers, devices, or other surface infrastructure from the site; and (B) restoration of the site to approximately the condition that existed at the time the project began; and (4) provides meteorological information obtained by the permitted project to the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. (b) NEPA exclusion Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) (c) Permit timeline and conditions (1) In general The Director of the Bureau of Land Management or Chief of the Forest Service, as applicable, shall decide whether to issue a permit for a project that is a meteorological site testing and monitoring project within 30 days after receiving an application for the permit. (2) Public comment and consultation During the period referred to in paragraph (1), the Director of the Bureau of Land Management or the Chief of the Forest Service, as applicable, shall— (A) provide an opportunity for submission of comments by the public; and (B) consult with the heads of other Federal, State, and local agencies that would be affected by the issuance of the permit. (3) Denial of Application If the application is denied, the Director or Chief, respectively, shall provide the applicant— (A) in writing, clear and comprehensive reasons why the application was not approved and detailed information concerning any deficiencies, and (B) an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies. (d) Protection of information The information provided to the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service pursuant to subsection (a)(4) shall be treated by such agency as proprietary information and protected against disclosure.

Summary: Reducing Regulatory Obstacles to Wind Energy Production Act - Exempts projects determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service to be meteorological site testing and monitoring projects from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines a "meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project that is carried out on land administered by BLM or the Forest Service to test or monitor weather using towers or other devices, that is decommissioned within five years of its commencement, that provides meteorological information to such agencies, that causes less than one acre of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device and no more than five acres of soil or disruption within the proposed right-of-way for the project, and that is installed: (1) using existing access roads, (2) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than one installation activity and one decommissioning activity along an identified off-road route approved by the BLM Director or the Chief of the Forest Service, (3) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing minor drainage crossings for safety purposes, and (4) without the use of digging or drilling equipment vehicles other than rubber-tired vehicles with gross weight ratings under 8,500 pounds. Requires the BLM Director or Chief of the Forest Service: (1) to decide whether to issue a permit for such a project within 30 days after receiving an application for such permit; (2) during such period, to provide an opportunity for public comments and to consult with the heads of agencies that would be affected by issuance of the permit; and (3) to provide to the applicant reasons why an application is denied and an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies. Requires BLM and the Forest Service to treat the meteorological information provided under this Act as proprietary information and to protect it against disclosure.