IB Union Calendar No. 376 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4383 [Report No. 112–528, Part I] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 18, 2012 Mr. Lamborn introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 June 15, 2012 Additional sponsors: Mrs. Black, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Griffin of Arkansas, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Coffman of Colorado, Mr. Tipton, Mr. Denham, Mr. Nunnelee, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Latham, Mr. Conaway, Ms. Jenkins, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Reed June 15, 2012 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic June 15, 2012 The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 18, 2012 A BILL To streamline the application for permits to drill process and increase funds for energy project permit processing, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2012.
2.
Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title. Sec. 2. Table of contents. Title I—Application for Permits to Drill Process Reform Sec. 101. Permit to drill application timeline. Sec. 102. Solar and wind right-of-way rental reform. Title II—Administrative Protest Documentation Reform Sec. 201. Administrative protest documentation reform. Title III—Permit Streamlining Sec. 301. Improve Federal energy permit coordination. Sec. 302. Administration of current law. Sec. 303. Policies regarding buying, building, and working for America. Title IV—Judicial Review Sec. 401. Definitions. Sec. 402. Exclusive venue for certain civil actions relating to covered energy projects. Sec. 403. Timely filing. Sec. 404. Expedition in hearing and determining the action. Sec. 405. Standard of review. Sec. 406. Limitation on injunction and prospective relief. Sec. 407. Limitation on attorneys’ fees. Sec. 408. Legal standing.
<enum>I</enum><header>Application for Permits to Drill Process Reform</header> <section id="H883C2DCF1A9F409B90715E5E2A2FE52A"><enum>101.</enum><header>Permit to drill application timeline</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 17(p)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)(2)) is amended to read as follows:</text> <quoted-block id="H55F2C858C11F4415B679840AB1C6352C" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H3E7EF1283EF0440EB8912E0DB71A8671"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Applications for permits to drill reform and process</header> <subparagraph id="H3537E73CD27E4DC792B03ACBAE73AA80"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Timeline</header><text>The Secretary shall decide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 days after receiving an application for the permit. The Secretary may extend such period for up to 2 periods of 15 days each, if the Secretary has given written notice of the delay to the applicant. The notice shall be in the form of a letter from the Secretary or a designee of the Secretary, and shall include the names and titles of the persons processing the application, the specific reasons for the delay, and a specific date a final decision on the application is expected.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H58ACF8D0F86F4BBDA9D4D2C840FAF4B1"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Notice of reasons for denial</header><text>If the application is denied, the Secretary shall provide the applicant—</text> <clause id="H72477004D08E437B86ED4B58D14D9037"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in writing, clear and comprehensive reasons why the application was not accepted and detailed information concerning any deficiencies; and</text></clause> <clause id="HAAA49713955B43D4A667D4AF9DBB15EA"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H530B4541373249AFA818FC4A949CF84C"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Application deemed approved</header><text>If the Secretary has not made a decision on the application by the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date the application is received by the Secretary, the application is deemed approved, except in cases in which existing reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or Endangered Species Act of 1973 are incomplete.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H355B13500EEE44E4BFCF6C9E5411B4FF"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Denial of permit</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary decides not to issue a permit to drill in accordance with subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—</text> <clause id="H58F5E0E8DF074473B77F8F2A0468BA29"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">provide to the applicant a description of the reasons for the denial of the permit;</text></clause> <clause id="H6293080844D8405EBB88C9B6747F7ACB"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">allow the applicant to resubmit an application for a permit to drill during the 10-day period beginning on the date the applicant receives the description of the denial from the Secretary; and</text></clause> <clause id="H528286F1E4A346379420EE46B09B39FB"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>issue or deny any resubmitted application not later than 10 days after the date the application is submitted to the Secretary.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H5D54AB3811A84CE89DE2307D93F63906"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Fee</header> <clause id="HC59180E46A9F4F059519431B83EDD81C"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary shall collect a single $6,500 permit processing fee per application from each applicant at the time the final decision is made whether to issue a permit under subparagraph (A). This fee shall not apply to any resubmitted application.</text></clause> <clause id="H70C4F8F8DC704252A969254E92E5F9DA"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Treatment of permit processing fee</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of all fees collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall be transferred to the field office where they are collected and used to process protests, leases, and permits under this Act subject to appropriation.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section> <section id="H173ABE4B2DDA4451AD4BE9C3109A1A73"><enum>102.</enum><header>Solar and wind right-of-way rental reform</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each fiscal year, of fees collected as annual wind energy and solar energy right-of-way authorization fees required under section 504(g) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1764(g)), 50 percent shall be retained by the Secretary of the Interior to be used, subject to appropriation, by the Bureau of Land Management to process permits, right-of-way applications, and other activities necessary for renewable development, and, at the discretion of the Secretary, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or other Federal agencies involved in wind and solar permitting reviews to facilitate the processing of wind energy and solar energy permit applications on Bureau of Land Management lands.</text></section> <enum>II</enum><header>Administrative Protest Documentation Reform</header> <section id="HE0D46A81A6C943CDB7822E43ABED4C51"><enum>201.</enum><header>Administrative protest documentation reform</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 17(p) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(p)) is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block id="H82F7E41E000B4FB8B3350DBEF6052E8D" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H1E7394D0BDA54BD49C9F04F20A49AB19"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Protest fee</header> <subparagraph id="H23468EB52E464E0684FA3BDA1336A517"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary shall collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accompany each protest for a lease, right of way, or application for permit to drill.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H4A664E26E7F24D3CA92DD62BAAD843DD"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Treatment of fees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of all fees collected under this paragraph, 50 percent shall remain in the field office where they are collected and used to process protests subject to appropriation.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section> <enum>III</enum><header>Permit Streamlining</header> <section id="H9889BDC1A5634690A104B259B6A9BAAC"><enum>301.</enum><header>Improve Federal energy permit coordination</header> <subsection id="H6C54896ED5DC4C4595F4B116CAF1DBAD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the <quote>Secretary</quote>) shall establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project (referred to in this section as the <quote>Project</quote>) in every Bureau of Land Management field office with responsibility for permitting energy projects on Federal land.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H4EDEC9FF8F0C4528BEA84325CDE0988D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Memorandum of understanding</header> <paragraph id="H611A87A5A8CC47B2B4F31F7E9B4C938E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for purposes of this section with—</text> <subparagraph id="HDCAA369311B0491FAD519F99898C4987"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Secretary of Agriculture;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H0637DD337963418FB10A2AD8AE4C6AF1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HC15CB2B3B94241A9AE446833F95CA34D"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H2E900B99D3494EC7A832894EA652695A"><enum>(2)</enum><header>State participation</header><text>The Secretary may request that the Governor of any State with energy projects on Federal lands to be a signatory to the memorandum of understanding.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H83020EFAD7854CEC9D3BC5A91F01A87A"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Designation of qualified staff</header> <paragraph id="H2FD154A1C6974A8FA01AF708061E61C5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 30 days after the date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding under subsection (b), all Federal signatory parties shall, if appropriate, assign to each of the Bureau of Land Management field offices an employee who has expertise in the regulatory issues relating to the office in which the employee is employed, including, as applicable, particular expertise in—</text> <subparagraph id="HFF315BBB41244789A74FDDBAA2CD5861"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the consultations and the preparation of biological opinions under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536);</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H6CEBDF348C07495D92D924A31C5C15BE"><enum>(B)</enum><text>permits under section 404 of Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344);</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HE87CAC1E4D1C4F639FC440D0385B0BE7"><enum>(C)</enum><text>regulatory matters under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H377149C7540142DCB03CAD9119E250B8"><enum>(D)</enum><text>planning under the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a et seq.); and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HF68DBF5D4AF34AB086488B4D8E7D20E5"><enum>(E)</enum><text>the preparation of analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H17F6EEDA61BD49ABB94A2371F794830C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Duties</header><text>Each employee assigned under paragraph (1) shall—</text> <subparagraph id="H6C14D4089D7F4273812DD18B05301917"><enum>(A)</enum><text>not later than 90 days after the date of assignment, report to the Bureau of Land Management Field Managers in the office to which the employee is assigned;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HACF608FA170B4FECBEAE3FC0E289BCC8"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be responsible for all issues relating to the energy projects that arise under the authorities of the employee’s home agency; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HD1A41CD1F4744C46A86E57E0DE8E9FD9"><enum>(C)</enum><text>participate as part of the team of personnel working on proposed energy projects, planning, and environmental analyses on Federal lands.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H00E045FC0A894408A1AAD834B353ADAE"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Additional personnel</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall assign to each Bureau of Land Management field office identified in subsection (a) any additional personnel that are necessary to ensure the effective approval and implementation of energy projects administered by the Bureau of Land Management field offices, including inspection and enforcement relating to energy development on Federal land, in accordance with the multiple use mandate of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).</text></subsection> <subsection id="H7FA307C5583F464AA467031A6619215B"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>Funding for the additional personnel shall come from the Department of the Interior reforms identified in sections 101, 102, and 201.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H32DE39EFA50440D7AB2733616E5AF3D1"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Savings provision</header><text>Nothing in this section affects—</text> <paragraph id="H99982FC721284610880DC77EC5E810E2"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the operation of any Federal or State law; or</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HB8C951DAE3874974AA222787584D88E1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>any delegation of authority made by the head of a Federal agency whose employees are participating in the Project.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HA0DD6C2FE1F14C5CB994E43CC2CDFEBB"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Definition</header><text>For purposes of this section the term <term>energy projects</term> includes oil, natural gas, coal, and other energy projects as defined by the Secretary.</text></subsection></section> <section id="H5651255A9B2A4A949CD3CA2AB2A21B9D"><enum>302.</enum><header>Administration of current law</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not require a finding of extraordinary circumstances in administering section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.</text></section> <section id="H43168D7C7DE744F6A5339A47F0DCA785"><enum>303.</enum><header>Policies regarding buying, building, and working for America</header> <subsection id="HB44EC92F36BD4D82B3ABBD4AD561CC20"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Congressional intent</header><text>It is the intent of Congress that—</text> <paragraph id="H6232E448DEC849F6906716FD8A394EF4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>this Act will support a healthy and growing United States domestic energy sector that, in turn, helps to reinvigorate American manufacturing, transportation, and service sectors by employing the vast talents of United States workers to assist in the development of energy from domestic sources; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HDDEAE58E43F6411A92FE81B9C761634B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Congress will monitor the deployment of personnel and material onshore under this Act to encourage the development of American technology and manufacturing to enable United States workers to benefit from this Act through good jobs and careers, as well as the establishment of important industrial facilities to support expanded access to American energy resources.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HCCF41CEA133B45BFAA6CCB9B8C250AFA"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Requirement</header><text>The Secretary of the Interior shall, when possible and practicable, encourage the use of United States workers and equipment manufactured in the United States in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act.</text></subsection></section> <enum>IV</enum><header>Judicial Review</header> <section id="HB36E50A979C34587958B287BBEC0B0ED"><enum>401.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this Act—</text> <paragraph id="HD0B7CAB63E534C6B9E1F618230B1959A"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the term <term>covered civil action</term> means a civil action containing a claim under section 702 of title 5, United States Code, regarding agency action (as defined for the purposes of that section) affecting a covered energy project on Federal lands of the United States; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HE3E0E9CBC5EB4236A41F0ED85ED96C72"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the term <term>covered energy project</term> means the leasing of Federal lands of the United States for the exploration, development, production, processing, or transmission of oil, natural gas, wind, or any other source of energy, and any action under such a lease, except that the term does not include any disputes between the parties to a lease regarding the obligations under such lease, including regarding any alleged breach of the lease.</text></paragraph></section> <section id="H0E06D9C053DB44D0A7727D1866FC7599"><enum>402.</enum><header>Exclusive venue for certain civil actions relating to covered energy projects</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Venue for any covered civil action shall lie in the district court where the project or leases exist or are proposed.</text></section> <section id="H7015F741CD0F4EB987CBDA7851F58811"><enum>403.</enum><header>Timely filing</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">To ensure timely redress by the courts, a covered civil action must be filed no later than the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the final Federal agency action to which it relates.</text></section> <section id="HACCD72916D8048EFB074F013089C316E"><enum>404.</enum><header>Expedition in hearing and determining the action</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The court shall endeavor to hear and determine any covered civil action as expeditiously as possible.</text></section> <section id="H5A2CCE9BEE934C86BAA0252A1C35E2F1"><enum>405.</enum><header>Standard of review</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In any judicial review of a covered civil action, administrative findings and conclusions relating to the challenged Federal action or decision shall be presumed to be correct, and the presumption may be rebutted only by the preponderance of the evidence contained in the administrative record.</text></section> <section id="H2516ACECCDEB42DAA38367754715CFB2"><enum>406.</enum><header>Limitation on injunction and prospective relief</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In a covered civil action, the court shall not grant or approve any prospective relief unless the court finds that such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct that violation. In addition, courts shall limit the duration of preliminary injunctions to halt covered energy projects to no more than 60 days, unless the court finds clear reasons to extend the injunction. In such cases of extensions, such extensions shall only be in 30-day increments and shall require action by the court to renew the injunction.</text></section> <section id="HDD0A7D6AE1A54BBFA104DE1C2E0F3E83"><enum>407.</enum><header>Limitation on attorneys’ fees</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Sections 504 of title 5, United States Code, and 2412 of title 28, United States Code, (together commonly called the Equal Access to Justice Act) do not apply to a covered civil action, nor shall any party in such a covered civil action receive payment from the Federal Government for their attorneys’ fees, expenses, and other court costs.</text></section> <section id="H08702D5CB82E4DFA8461C9F6FDEF28CF"><enum>408.</enum><header>Legal standing</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Challengers filing appeals with the Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals shall meet the same standing requirements as challengers before a United States district court.</text></section> June 15, 2012 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment June 15, 2012 The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed