Source: https://www.shaledirectories.com/blog/trumps-pipeline-executive-order-here-its-very-good/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 01:54:36+00:00

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President Donald Trump delivered some great news to pipeliners yesterday with his pipeline executive order, Andrew Cuomo says it’s overreach, so it’s good!
The Trump pipeline executive order is here! And, Andrew Cuomo, the king of overreachers, says it’s “gross overreach.” We don’t need to know a lot more, do we? If Andrew Cuomo says he’s going to fight it “tooth and nail,” you know it has to be good for pipeliners, natural gas development, energy security and New Yorkers dealing with natural gas connection moratoriums. Those moratoriums are the consequence of the Governor’s blind pursuit of green political adherence and slavish dedication to pushing corporatist special interest agendas. The order, though, is also very good on the merits.
Simply put, the Trump pipeline executive order gives the EPA 13 months to straighten out this mess by issuing new guidelines for water quality certification that address the proper scope of state reviews, the time they may take to make those reviews and the conditions they may impose. Then, other Federal agencies have another 90 days to start the process of revising their own rules in line with EPA guidance.
It’s not easy turning around the Federal ship, but you have to start somewhere. The important thing is that it constitutes a change in direction and is a signal to agencies to get things moving. This, in combination, with the Hoopa court decision, pushes recalcitrant states such New York back onto their heels.
In cases where the certifying agency believes it needs more information or time to review the license or permit before issuing a certification, and it has not been able to work out an appropriate time frame with the licensing or permitting Federal agency, states have tended to take two approaches. Some states on occasion have suggested the applicant withdraw and resubmit its application for certification (restarting the certification clock), as an alternative to denying certification based on gaps in analyses or information. This withdraw-resubmission process potentially gives the applicant and the §401 certifying agency time to produce requested reports, and is intended to give the certifying agency additional time to review the relevant information and issue a certification.
The manual, in other words, created just the excuse Andrew Cuomo and other like-minded tyrants needed to hold pipeline projects hostage. Until Hoopa, that is, which pointed out the blackmail effect of such a distorted process and stated agencies only have up to a year and only if they need it and it’s reasonable.
The federal permitting or licensing agency may set the certification response time limit to any “reasonable period of time (which shall not exceed one year).” If the certifying agency does not respond within the time limit, §401 certification is waived. As discussed below, federal agencies have established varying timeframes up to one year. An initial step, therefore, is for the certifying agency to verify the amount of time it has for its §401 analysis.
Federal agencies may define what is a “reasonable time” for purposes of §401 certification of their permits or licenses, provided the period is less than one year in duration. For example, some Corps Districts provide a response period of 60 days for a §401 certification associated with a CWA §404 permit. FERC normally allows a full year for states and tribes to develop a §401 certification response. EPA regulations governing the certification of federally issued CWA §402 NPDES permits allow states and tribes 60 days to issue certification. EPA regulations applicable in other contexts suggest a time limit of six months.
Yes, FERC is somewhat unusual in allowing the full year, so the Trump pipeline executive order, is both a necessary and appropriate corrective. And, other agencies allow as little as 60 days, with six months being a more common standard. So, the path is being cleared to get back to a state of reasonableness where New York, for example, gets six months and perhaps an additional three if they can prove they need it. That’s where the court is headed and where the Trump administration is pointing and it’s very good.
Take not, also, that the order demands a study within six months “regarding the economic and other effects caused by the inability to transport sufficient quantities of natural gas and other domestic energy resources to the States in New England.” Does that sound like a report on the real cost of Andrew Cuomo’s green special interest politics? I think so. It couldn’t come at a better time or be more appropriate.

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