[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5254 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5254

   To set schedules for the consideration of permits for refineries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 2006

 Mr. Bass (for himself, Mr. Barton of Texas, Mr. Kirk, Mrs. Bono, Mr. 
  Shimkus, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. Hall, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Norwood, Mr. 
    Sullivan, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Buyer, Mr. Chocola, Mr. 
Pickering, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. Upton, Mr. Johnson of Illinois, Mr. Gerlach, 
 and Mr. Porter) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
 on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To set schedules for the consideration of permits for refineries.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Refinery Permit Process Schedule 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Environmental Protection Agency;
            (2) the term ``applicant'' means a person who is seeking a 
        Federal refinery authorization;
            (3) the term ``biomass'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 932(a)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
            (4) the term ``Federal refinery authorization''--
                    (A) means any authorization required under Federal 
                law, whether administered by a Federal or State 
                administrative agency or official, with respect to 
                siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a 
                refinery; and
                    (B) includes any permits, licenses, special use 
                authorizations, certifications, opinions, or other 
                approvals required under Federal law with respect to 
                siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a 
                refinery;
            (5) the term ``refinery'' means--
                    (A) a facility designed and operated to receive, 
                load, unload, store, transport, process, and refine 
                crude oil by any chemical or physical process, 
                including distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, 
                hydrocracking, coking, alkylation, etherification, 
                polymerization, catalytic reforming, isomerization, 
                hydrotreating, blending, and any combination thereof, 
                in order to produce gasoline or distillate;
                    (B) a facility designed and operated to receive, 
                load, unload, store, transport, process, and refine 
                coal by any chemical or physical process, including 
                liquefaction, in order to produce gasoline or diesel as 
                its primary output; or
                    (C) a facility designed and operated to receive, 
                load, unload, store, transport, process (including 
                biochemical, photochemical, and biotechnology 
                processes), and refine biomass in order to produce 
                biofuel; and
            (6) the term ``State'' means a State, the District of 
        Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other 
        territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 3. STATE ASSISTANCE.

    (a) State Assistance.--At the request of a governor of a State, the 
Administrator is authorized to provide financial assistance to that 
State to facilitate the hiring of additional personnel to assist the 
State with expertise in fields relevant to consideration of Federal 
refinery authorizations.
    (b) Other Assistance.--At the request of a governor of a State, a 
Federal agency responsible for a Federal refinery authorization shall 
provide technical, legal, or other nonfinancial assistance to that 
State to facilitate its consideration of Federal refinery 
authorizations.

SEC. 4. REFINERY PROCESS COORDINATION AND PROCEDURES.

    (a) Appointment of Federal Coordinator.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall appoint a Federal 
        coordinator to perform the responsibilities assigned to the 
        Federal coordinator under this Act.
            (2) Other agencies.--Each Federal and State agency or 
        official required to provide a Federal refinery authorization 
        shall cooperate with the Federal coordinator.
    (b) Federal Refinery Authorizations.--
            (1) Meeting participants.--Not later than 30 days after 
        receiving a notification from an applicant that the applicant 
        is seeking a Federal refinery authorization pursuant to Federal 
        law, the Federal coordinator appointed under subsection (a) 
        shall convene a meeting of representatives from all Federal and 
        State agencies responsible for a Federal refinery authorization 
        with respect to the refinery. The governor of a State shall 
        identify each agency of that State that is responsible for a 
        Federal refinery authorization with respect to that refinery.
            (2) Memorandum of agreement.--(A) Not later than 90 days 
        after receipt of a notification described in paragraph (1), the 
        Federal coordinator and the other participants at a meeting 
        convened under paragraph (1) shall establish a memorandum of 
        agreement setting forth the most expeditious coordinated 
        schedule possible for completion of all Federal refinery 
        authorizations with respect to the refinery, consistent with 
        the full substantive and procedural review required by Federal 
        law. If a Federal or State agency responsible for a Federal 
        refinery authorization with respect to the refinery is not 
        represented at such meeting, the Federal coordinator shall 
        ensure that the schedule accommodates those Federal refinery 
        authorizations, consistent with Federal law. In the event of 
        conflict among Federal refinery authorization scheduling 
        requirements, the requirements of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency shall be given priority.
            (B) Not later than 15 days after completing the memorandum 
        of agreement, the Federal coordinator shall publish the 
        memorandum of agreement in the Federal Register.
            (C) The Federal coordinator shall ensure that all parties 
        to the memorandum of agreement are working in good faith to 
        carry out the memorandum of agreement, and shall facilitate the 
        maintenance of the schedule established therein.
    (c) Consolidated Record.--The Federal coordinator shall, with the 
cooperation of Federal and State administrative agencies and officials, 
maintain a complete consolidated record of all decisions made or 
actions taken by the Federal coordinator or by a Federal administrative 
agency or officer (or State administrative agency or officer acting 
under delegated Federal authority) with respect to any Federal refinery 
authorization. Such record shall be the record for judicial review 
under subsection (d) of decisions made or actions taken by Federal and 
State administrative agencies and officials, except that, if the Court 
determines that the record does not contain sufficient information, the 
Court may remand the proceeding to the Federal coordinator for further 
development of the consolidated record.
    (d) Remedies.--
            (1) In general.--The United States District Court for the 
        district in which the proposed refinery is located shall have 
        exclusive jurisdiction over any civil action for the review of 
        the failure of an agency or official to act on a Federal 
        refinery authorization in accordance with the schedule 
        established pursuant to the memorandum of agreement.
            (2) Standing.--If an applicant or a party to a memorandum 
        of agreement alleges that a failure to act described in 
        paragraph (1) has occurred and that such failure to act would 
        jeopardize timely completion of the entire schedule as 
        established in the memorandum of agreement, such applicant or 
        other party may bring a cause of action under this subsection.
            (3) Court action.--If an action is brought under paragraph 
        (2), the Court shall review whether the parties to the 
        memorandum of agreement have been acting in good faith, whether 
        the applicant has been cooperating fully with the agencies that 
        are responsible for issuing a Federal refinery authorization, 
        and any other relevant materials in the consolidated record. 
        Taking into consideration those factors, if the Court finds 
        that a failure to act described in paragraph (1) has occurred, 
        and that such failure to act would jeopardize timely completion 
        of the entire schedule as established in the memorandum of 
        agreement, the Court shall establish a new schedule that is the 
        most expeditious coordinated schedule possible for completion 
        of preceedings, consistent with the full substantive and 
        procedural review required by Federal law. The court may issue 
        orders to enforce any schedule it establishes under this 
        paragraph.
            (4) Federal coordinator's action.--When any civil action is 
        brought under this subsection, the Federal coordinator shall 
        immediately file with the Court the consolidated record 
        compiled by the Federal coordinator pursuant to subsection (c).
            (5) Expedited review.--The Court shall set any civil action 
        brought under this subsection for expedited consideration.

SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF CLOSED MILITARY BASES.

    (a) Designation Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the President shall designate no less than 3 
closed military installations, or portions thereof, as potentially 
suitable for the construction of a refinery. At least 1 such site shall 
be designated as potentially suitable for construction of a refinery to 
refine biomass in order to produce biofuel.
    (b) Redevelopment Authority.--The redevelopment authority for each 
installation designated under subsection (a), in preparing or revising 
the redevelopment plan for the installation, shall consider the 
feasibility and practicability of siting a refinery on the 
installation.
    (c) Management and Disposal of Real Property.--The Secretary of 
Defense, in managing and disposing of real property at an installation 
designated under subsection (a) pursuant to the base closure law 
applicable to the installation, shall give substantial deference to the 
recommendations of the redevelopment authority, as contained in the 
redevelopment plan for the installation, regarding the siting of a 
refinery on the installation. The management and disposal of real 
property at a closed military installation or portion thereof found to 
be suitable for the siting of a refinery under subsection (a) shall be 
carried out in the manner provided by the base closure law applicable 
to the installation.
    (d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``base closure law'' means the Defense Base 
        Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of 
        Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) and title II of the 
        Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and 
        Realignment Act (Public Law 100-526; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note); and
            (2) the term ``closed military installation'' means a 
        military installation closed or approved for closure pursuant 
        to a base closure law.

SEC. 6. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the application of 
any environmental or other law, or to prevent any party from bringing a 
cause of action under any environmental or other law, including citizen 
suits.

SEC. 7. REFINERY REVITALIZATION REPEAL.

    Subtitle H of title III of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the 
items relating thereto in the table of contents of such Act are 
repealed.
                                 <all>