The Energy Permitting Reform Act is dangerous

On November 26, 2024By Pranco

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to boost oil and gas production, including by opening more public lands to drilling and fracking. He has too promised “crystal clear water.” The problem is that these two goals are often at odds.

Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda hinges on proposed legislation that would make it easier to greenlight energy projects: the Energy Licensing Reform Act of 2024. The bill, currently pending in the Senate, proposes sweeping changes in energy development. It would prioritize quick approval over a thorough assessment of environmental impacts, including threats to water quality. And it would shorten the time allowed to file legal challenges to energy projects – from six years to just 150 days – making it harder for local communities to challenge government agencies and make their voices heard.

The brains behind this legislation is Senator Joe Manchin (IW.Va.), a longtime friend of the fossil fuel industry. Manchin and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the bill’s co-sponsor, have touted the legislation as an “all of the above” approach that would promote both renewable energy and fossil fuels. The bill would boost renewable energy sources by accelerating the approval of transmission lines connecting solar and wind farms to electricity users. But the environmental benefits of this legislation would be more than offset by the expansion of fossil fuel development and new threats to the safety and quality of water resources.

The risks are especially high in the Great Lakes region, which includes this area 21 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. The Energy Permitting Reform Act would vastly expand fossil fuel drilling on public lands, increasing the potential for spills, leaks and toxic runoff that could harm crucial freshwater resources. It would allow private companies to reclaim thousands of acres of public land – owned by the American people – for mining and storing toxic mine waste. This toxic waste leaches acid enter streams and aquifers, endangering fish and wildlife. And the bill would extend the duration of drilling permits, prolonging communities’ exposure to pollution from fossil fuel development.

So far, environmentalists’ concerns have not stopped the progress of this dangerous legislation. Manchin moved the bill through the House quickly and strategically. In August, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced the legislation on a 15-4 vote.

It’s likely the bill could reach the Senate floor during the current lame-duck session before the next Congress takes session. When Republicans take full control of Congress in January, the bill is even more likely to pass.

There is still time to stop this harmful legislation. The fact is that we do not need to relax the rules on fossil fuel production. The US is already the largest producer of oil and gas in the world, despite environmental protections and restrictions on drilling on federal lands.

We need standalone renewable energy commitments, not legislation that makes us further dependent on fossil fuels. And we must preserve the hard-won environmental regulations that protect the “crystal clear waters” on which all life depends.

Jill Ryan is executive director of Freshwater Future, a nonprofit organization based in Petoskey, Michigan, dedicated to protecting the waters of the Great Lakes region.

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