 Energy & Environment |
Energy & Environment |
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Green groups to petition Biden for offshore oil cleanup rules |
A coalition of environmental advocacy groups will petition the Biden administration to propose rules that require stricter enforcement for cleaning up leftover infrastructure for offshore drilling. |
© AP Photo/Gerald Herbert |
The effort follows a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found that more than 2,700 idle oil wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico had not been cleaned up. It also found that cleanup deadlines had been missed for more than 40 percent of wells and 50 percent of platforms by companies that held rights to drill in the Gulf from 2010 to 2022. "We are essentially asking for the agency who is charged with oversight of offshore oil and gas to get its act together," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups behind the petition. "They're currently not requiring well-plugging, they're not requiring removal of platforms," Sakashita said. The groups are asking for the administration to put forward enforceable cleanup deadlines for drillers and require them to remove pipelines that are associated with their underwater drilling, according to a draft petition that was first shared with The Hill. They are also asking that the agency be required to take legal action to enforce cleanup rules in a timely manner, and for there to be standards to make sure that companies who are given rights to drill offshore are able to clean up afterwards. Read more at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. | |
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) decision to step down as Senate GOP leader, which he announced Wednesday, opens up a fierce battle to lead the Republican conference. One name near the top of the list: Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), the No. 3 Senate Republican and one of the chamber's most vocal critics of Biden administration energy policy. Barrasso has not yet announced a leadership bid but, as chair of the Senate Republican Conference, has been named as a top contender. Other likely candidates include Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and former whip John Cornyn (R-Texas). Barrasso would not commit to a bid Wednesday, telling reporters that he is focused on the 2024 presidential election and Senate contests. Barrasso has been the top Republican on the Energy Committee since 2021. While the committee is majority-Democratic, Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is also a frequent opponent of the Biden administration on energy issues, leading to frequent common ground between the two leaders. During his time on the committee, Barrasso has vocally opposed numerous Biden nominees, including Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, citing her past links to saboteurs involved in tree-spiking, the practice of putting metal rods into trees to obstruct logging. Most recently, the Wyoming Republican announced earlier in February that he would try to amend an international security bill to block the Biden administration's pause on new natural gas exports. "If it truly is open for amendments, there will be an amendment — and I will bring one on … stopping what the president has done with this," Barrasso said. |
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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: |
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The world isn't on track to meet its climate goals — and it's the public's fault, a leading oil company CEO told journalists. |
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Grease-proof food wrappers being sold in the U.S. will no longer contain toxic "forever chemicals" the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Wednesday. |
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New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is suing JBS Foods, a major beef producer, accusing the company of misleading the public about the environmental impact of its products. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Worried about plastic pollution in your tap water? Try boiling in it, a new study suggests. |
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America's refiners are reducing transportation emissions. |
Renewable fuels are made using organic waste and biomaterials. Learn how they work in engines today, with upwards of 80% lower lifecycle GHG emissions compared to their traditional counterparts. |
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News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: |
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At least 10 states quietly own lands within Indian reservations — and profit from them (Grist/High Country News) John Kerry blasts US investors for scaling back on climate action (The Financial Times)
US EPA directs $1 billion to 25 Superfund hazardous waste cleanups (Reuters)
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight will hold a hearing Thursday titled "Examining the Risk: The Dangers of EV Fires for First Responders."
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up the issue of whether former President Trump can be criminally prosecuted for his efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection loss, setting up a historic case that tests the limits of presidential immunity. Read more |
| As Republicans grilled Hunter Biden on Wednesday about his business deals overseas, the president's son turned the question back on his interrogators. Read more |
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Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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