SEC. 302. REPEAL OF FEDERAL BAN ON SYNTHETIC FUELS 
PURCHASING REQUIREMENT. 
Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17142) is repealed. 
Subtitle B—Refinery Reform 
SEC. 311. REFINERY PERMITTING PROCESS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) EXPANSION.—The term ‘‘expansion’’ means 
a physical change that results in an increase in the 
capacity of a refinery. 
(3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(4) PERMIT.—The term ‘‘permit’’ means any 
permit, license, approval, variance, or other form of 
authorization that a refiner is required to obtain— 
(A) under any Federal law; or 
(B) from a State or Indian tribal govern-
ment agency delegated authority by the Federal 
Government, or authorized under Federal law, 
to issue permits. 
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(5) REFINER.—The term ‘‘refiner’’ means a 
person that— 
(A) owns or operates a refinery; or 
(B) seeks to become an owner or operator 
of a refinery. 
(6) REFINERY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘refinery’’ 
means— 
(i) a facility at which crude oil is re-
fined into transportation fuel or other pe-
troleum products; and 
(ii) a coal liquification or coal-to-liquid 
facility at which coal is processed into syn-
thetic crude oil or any other fuel. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘refinery’’ in-
cludes an expansion of a refinery. 
(7) REFINERY PERMITTING AGREEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘refinery permitting agreement’’ means an 
agreement entered into between the Administrator 
and a State or Indian tribe under subsection (b). 
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 
(A) a State; 
(B) the District of Columbia; 
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(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
and 
(D) any other territory or possession of the 
United States. 
(b) STREAMLINING
OF
REFINERY
PERMITTING 
PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—At the request of the Gov-
ernor of a State or the governing body of an Indian 
tribe, the Administrator shall enter into a refinery 
permitting agreement with the State or Indian tribe 
under which the process for obtaining all permits 
necessary for the construction and operation of a re-
finery shall be streamlined using a systematic inter-
disciplinary multimedia approach as provided in this 
section. 
(2) AUTHORITY OF ADMINISTRATOR.—Under a 
refinery permitting agreement the Administrator 
shall have authority, as applicable and necessary, 
to— 
(A) accept from a refiner a consolidated 
application for all permits that the refiner is re-
quired to obtain to construct and operate a re-
finery; 
(B) in consultation and cooperation with 
each Federal, State, or Indian tribal govern-
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ment agency that is required to make any de-
termination to authorize the issuance of a per-
mit, establish a schedule under which each 
agency shall— 
(i) concurrently consider, to the max-
imum extent practicable, each determina-
tion to be made; and 
(ii) complete each step in the permit-
ting process; and 
(C) issue a consolidated permit that com-
bines all permits issued under the schedule es-
tablished under subparagraph (B). 
(3) AGREEMENT BY THE STATE.—Under a re-
finery permitting agreement, a State or governing 
body of an Indian tribe shall agree that— 
(A) the Administrator shall have each of 
the authorities described in paragraph (2); and 
(B) each State or Indian tribal government 
agency shall— 
(i) in accordance with State law, make 
such structural and operational changes in 
the agencies as are necessary to enable the 
agencies to carry out consolidated project- 
wide permit reviews concurrently and in 
coordination with the Environmental Pro-
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tection Agency and other Federal agencies; 
and 
(ii) comply, to the maximum extent 
practicable, with the applicable schedule 
established under paragraph (2)(B). 
(4) DEADLINES.— 
(A) NEW REFINERIES.—In the case of a 
consolidated permit for the construction of a 
new refinery, the Administrator and the State 
or governing body of an Indian tribe shall ap-
prove or disapprove the consolidated permit not 
later than— 
(i) 360 days after the date of the re-
ceipt of the administratively complete ap-
plication for the consolidated permit; or 
(ii) on agreement of the applicant, the 
Administrator, and the State or governing 
body of the Indian tribe, 90 days after the 
expiration of the deadline established 
under clause (i). 
(B) EXPANSION
OF
EXISTING
REFIN-
ERIES.—In the case of a consolidated permit 
for the expansion of an existing refinery, the 
Administrator and the State or governing body 
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of an Indian tribe shall approve or disapprove 
the consolidated permit not later than— 
(i) 120 days after the date of the re-
ceipt of the administratively complete ap-
plication for the consolidated permit; or 
(ii) on agreement of the applicant, the 
Administrator, and the State or governing 
body of the Indian tribe, 30 days after the 
expiration of the deadline established 
under clause (i). 
(5) FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Each Federal agency 
that is required to make any determination to au-
thorize the issuance of a permit shall comply with 
the applicable schedule established under paragraph 
(2)(B). 
(6) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Any civil action for re-
view of any permit determination under a refinery 
permitting agreement shall be brought exclusively in 
the United States district court for the district in 
which the refinery is located or proposed to be lo-
cated. 
(7) EFFICIENT PERMIT REVIEW.—In order to 
reduce the duplication of procedures, the Adminis-
trator shall use State permitting and monitoring 
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procedures to satisfy substantially equivalent Fed-
eral requirements under this subtitle. 
(8) SEVERABILITY.—If 1 or more permits that 
are required for the construction or operation of a 
refinery are not approved on or before any deadline 
established under paragraph (4), the Administrator 
may issue a consolidated permit that combines all 
other permits that the refiner is required to obtain 
other than any permits that are not approved. 
(9) SAVINGS.—Nothing in this subsection af-
fects the operation or implementation of otherwise 
applicable law regarding permits necessary for the 
construction and operation of a refinery. 
(10) CONSULTATION
WITH
LOCAL
GOVERN-
MENTS.—Congress encourages the Administrator, 
States, and tribal governments to consult, to the 
maximum extent practicable, with local governments 
in carrying out this subsection. 
(11) EFFECT ON LOCAL AUTHORITY.—Nothing 
in this subsection affects— 
(A) the authority of a local government 
with respect to the issuance of permits; or 
(B) any requirement or ordinance of a 
local government (such as a zoning regulation). 
(c) FISCHER-TROPSCH FUELS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with the Sec-
retary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 
Fischer-Tropsch industry representatives, the Ad-
ministrator shall— 
(A) conduct a research and demonstration 
program to evaluate the air quality benefits of 
ultra-clean Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuel, 
including diesel and jet fuel; 
(B) evaluate the use of ultra-clean Fischer- 
Tropsch transportation fuel as a mechanism for 
reducing engine exhaust emissions; and 
(C) submit recommendations to Congress 
on the most effective use and associated bene-
fits of these ultra-clean fuel for reducing public 
exposure to exhaust emissions. 
(2) GUIDANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT.—The 
Administrator shall, to the extent necessary, issue 
any guidance or technical support documents that 
would facilitate the effective use and associated ben-
efit of Fischer-Tropsch fuel and blends. 
(3) REQUIREMENTS.—The program described 
in paragraph (1) shall consider— 
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(A) the use of neat (100 percent) Fischer- 
Tropsch fuel and blends with conventional 
crude oil-derived fuel for heavy-duty and light- 
duty diesel engines and the aviation sector; and 
(B) the production costs associated with 
domestic production of those ultra-clean fuel 
and prices for consumers. 
(4) REPORTS.—The Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives— 
(A) not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, an interim report on ac-
tions taken to carry out this subsection; and 
(B) not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, a final report on ac-
tions taken to carry out this subsection. 
SEC. 312. EXISTING REFINERY PERMIT APPLICATION DEAD-
LINE. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, applica-
tions for a permit for existing refinery applications shall 
not be considered to be timely if submitted after 120 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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