02.29.16

Hoeven Gets Pledge to Bring Interior Official to N.D., Continues Work to Prevent Energy Regulation Overreach

Senator Presses Interior Secretary to Follow through on Commitments to North Dakota's Coal Industry

WASHINGTON – During a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week, Senator John Hoeven got a commitment from Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to send a key official to North Dakota to meet with coal industry leaders. At Hoeven’s urging, Secretary Jewell agreed to:

  • Bring Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assistant Secretary Janice Schneider to the state to see firsthand the impact of the bureau’s proposed Stream Protection Rule.
  • Grandfather in pending permits for coal leases on federal land in North Dakota and not retroactively apply the administration’s moratorium and review of the coal program, which went into effect in January.

“It is vital that our federal officials understand the impacts that their decisions have on our nation’s energy development and the cost of energy for families and businesses,” Hoeven said. “That’s why I continue to press Secretary Jewell and her staff to meet with our local industry and see firsthand how their proposed, one-size-fits-all regulations, like the Stream Protection Rule, seriously undermine affordable energy production without providing additional environmental benefits in our state.”

Hoeven continues his efforts, both in the Senate Energy and Appropriations Committees, to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to regulating mining activities and energy development. To this end, the senator secured a commitment from Assistant Secretary Schneider last October to visit North Dakota and is working to ensure she meets with industry and local officials prior to finalizing the rule. Further, Hoeven cosponsored bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) to ensure transparency in the Interior Department’s rulemaking process and prevent duplicate regulations between federal agencies.

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