On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court held in United States Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association that the U.S. Forest Service was authorized to issue a special use permit granting a 0.1-mile right of way under the Appalachian Trail (“Trail”) to Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC (“Atlantic”) for a proposed underground natural gas
Trump’s BLM Cannot Delay Implementation of Oil and Gas Methane Rules after Effective Date
On October 4, 2017, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California held that the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) cannot postpone implementation of natural gas methane emission rules because such action would violate the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”). Plaintiffs – the State of California, the State of New Mexico, and a coalition of seventeen conservation and tribal citizens groups (jointly “Plaintiffs”) – initiated the lawsuit in two separate actions. Plaintiffs argued that postponing implementation of the BLM’s Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation Rule (“Final Rule”) after its effective date violated Section 705 of the APA.
Continue Reading Trump’s BLM Cannot Delay Implementation of Oil and Gas Methane Rules after Effective Date
Federal Bill Proposes Streamlined Pipeline Permitting, Vesting Authority in FERC
On July 19, 2017, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) increased autonomy over pipeline approvals. The bill, Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act (H.R. 2910), is aimed at streamlining the federal permitting process for pipeline approvals.
H.R. 2901 would specify timeframes and procedures for FERC and other affected agencies to follow in conducting environmental reviews related to natural gas pipelines. The bill would give FERC the authority to designate which other agencies will participate in the permitting and environmental review process, and FERC would hold primary authority by setting the terms of environmental reviews, requiring other federal agencies to defer to FERC. In addition, all National Gas Act reviews would be required to proceed concurrently and finish within 90 days of the environmental review, unless otherwise mandated by law.Continue Reading Federal Bill Proposes Streamlined Pipeline Permitting, Vesting Authority in FERC
Senate Proposes Legislation to Modernize Federal Energy Policies
On June 28, 2017, the Senate introduced a bill that aims to revitalize and overhaul various federal energy and natural resources policies. Senate Bill 1460 (S.1460), sponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Arkansas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), broadly proposes reform of United States policies on topics such as energy efficiency, supply and conservation. A key highlight of S.1460 is modernization of the electric grid, an issue that has often been touted as a national security concern. Further, on the conservation side, the bill would establish a National Park Maintenance and Revitalization Fund. While details of the bill are still forthcoming, the bill’s authors state that S.1460 will lay out a plan to strengthen the nation’s energy infrastructure.
Continue Reading Senate Proposes Legislation to Modernize Federal Energy Policies
Some Not-So-Good News Out of Washington, D.C. for Pipeline Operators – Feds Increase Fines for Pipeline Safety Violations
President Trump’s recent executive orders have benefited the oil pipeline industry in a number of ways, including most notably, giving the final “okay” to the Dakota Access Pipeline. But some legislative mandates have been out of the reach of the President’s pen. On April 27, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”), within the Department of Transportation, released a final rule revising its maximum penalties for violations of pipeline safety laws. The rule titled, Pipeline Safety: Inflation Adjustment of Maximum Civil Penalties, was issued pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which requires federal agencies to adjust their civil monetary penalties annually to account for changes in inflation. So what’s changed?
Continue Reading Some Not-So-Good News Out of Washington, D.C. for Pipeline Operators – Feds Increase Fines for Pipeline Safety Violations
In Effort to Increase Both Transparency and Safety, PHMSA Releases Civil Penalty Framework
The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) issued a General Policy Statement for civil penalties (“Penalty Framework”) on October 17, 2016. The Penalty Framework allows a respondent in a PHMSA enforcement case to request a proposed civil penalty calculation related to its case, and provides a penalty range with corresponding factors used in calculating the penalty amount. Prior to publishing the Penalty Framework, the PHMSA only provided its civil penalty framework upon request.
In imposing a civil penalty, the PHMSA must consider five factors:
(1) The nature, circumstances and gravity of the violation, including adverse impact on the environment;
(2) The degree of the respondent’s culpability;
(3) The respondent’s history of prior offenses;
(4) Any good faith by the respondent in attempting to achieve compliance; and
(5) The effect on the respondent’s ability to continue in business.
49 U.S.C. § 60122.Continue Reading In Effort to Increase Both Transparency and Safety, PHMSA Releases Civil Penalty Framework
Pipeline Operators Take Note: PHMSA Issues Interim Emergency Pipeline Safety Rules – Should You Be Concerned?
On October 3, 2016, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”), within the U.S. Department of Transportation, released a new rule on its authority to issue emergency orders for pipeline safety. The Interim Final Rule, titled “Pipeline Safety: Enhanced Emergency Order Procedures,” comes as a result of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 (“PIPES”). PIPES was signed into law by President Obama in June 2016 and allows the PHMSA to impose emergency restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures on gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities to address safety concerns.
Continue Reading Pipeline Operators Take Note: PHMSA Issues Interim Emergency Pipeline Safety Rules – Should You Be Concerned?
ICYMI: Litigator Willa Perlmutter Establishes Mine Safety Practice at Stoel Rives
In case you missed it, Stoel Rives LLP welcomed Willa B. Perlmutter to the firm’s Natural Resources group this past July. Willa is based in our Portland office, but is serving our clients from Alaska to California and all points east—above ground and beneath. She is accustomed to working effectively and efficiently with in-house counsel
Industry Groups Push Back Against Environmental Activists in Suit Over Oil & Gas Waste Disposal Regs.
As we discussed earlier, environmental activists have asked the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to update its oil and gas drilling waste disposal rules under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”). The groups sought to force the EPA’s hand by suing the EPA in an attempt to get a court order requiring the EPA to update its regulations.
Under RCRA, non-hazardous solid waste, which includes oil and gas production waste, is governed by Subtitle D. Subtitle D focuses on state and local governments as the primary regulating entities for the management of non-hazardous solid waste. It establishes minimum federal technical standards and guidelines for state solid waste regulations. The EPA is required to review and approve state Subtitle D waste disposal programs to ensure that they meet the minimum standards.
Section 2002(b) of RCRA requires the EPA to review and, if necessary, revise at least once every three years the Subtitle D regulations. The activists have asked the EPA to revise its Subtitle D regulations and set clear requirements to govern the storage and disposal of oil and gas waste amid a “patchwork of [state] requirements with varying protections.”
Continue Reading Industry Groups Push Back Against Environmental Activists in Suit Over Oil & Gas Waste Disposal Regs.
Wyoming Court Strikes Down BLM Hydraulic Fracturing Rule; Existing Appeal Remains Pending (For Now)
UPDATE: Quickly following on the heels of the Wyoming federal district court’s order striking down the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) hydraulic fracturing rules, the state governments of North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah have now moved to dismiss the pending Tenth Circuit appeal of the district court’s preliminary injunction order. Those state government indicated in their brief that they had unsuccessfully attempted to reach out to counsel for the BLM and the environmental groups who filed that appeal, but expected those parties will oppose the dismissal motion.
Separately, the BLM and the intervening environmental groups each filed notices seeking to directly appeal the district court’s June 21 order and judgment striking the BLM’s rules to the Tenth Circuit. While it remains unclear exactly how this matter will now proceed on appeal, it seems likely that the Tenth Circuit will combine or consolidate all of these appeal issues in one way or another.
______________________________________________________________
As we’ve previously reported, a Wyoming federal court issued a preliminary injunction order last year that temporarily halted the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands. Since that time, the case has split into two proceedings: the Wyoming court moved forward with conducting a full legal analysis of the BLM’s final rule, while several environmental groups who had intervened in the lawsuit appealed the preliminary injunction order to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. This week we received some clarity on one of those proceedings, while the other remains pending.
District Court Strikes Down BLM Final Rule
On June 21, the Wyoming court struck down the BLM’s final rule, finding the agency lacked the legal authority to promulgate those regulations.
In his order, Judge Scott Skavdahl premised his opinion on whether Congress delegated requisite authority to the BLM to regulate hydraulic fracturing on public lands, and “not whether hydraulic fracturing is good or bad for the environment or the citizens of the United States.” Ultimately, Judge Skavdahl held, a federal agency “may not exercise its authority in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative structure that Congress enacted into law.”Continue Reading Wyoming Court Strikes Down BLM Hydraulic Fracturing Rule; Existing Appeal Remains Pending (For Now)
EPA Issues Expansive, Costly New Source Performance Standards for Oil and Gas Sector
Widely anticipated on both sides of the aisle, on May 12, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released final regulations to curb emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (“VOC”) from additional new, modified, and reconstructed sources in the oil and gas industry. The Final Rule, titled, ‘Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources’ (“Final Rule”), amends the new source performance standards (“NSPS”) for the oil and natural gas source category. This action follows EPA’s publication of proposed regulations in August 2015, and is extremely significant because it is the first instance of such regulation of VOC and methane emissions by the EPA. In addition to yesterday’s announcement, the EPA is completing final Control Techniques Guidelines for reducing VOC emissions from existing oil and gas sources in ozone nonattainment areas, which are expected to be released later this spring.
Background: The Climate Action Plan
Over the past few years, the Obama Administration has taken an aggressive stance on climate change regulation, and the Final Rule is the Administration’s most recent action to specifically address methane and short-lived climate pollutants. In June 2013, the Administration released the Climate Action Plan which directed the EPA and other federal agencies to develop a comprehensive regulatory scheme to reduce methane emissions. In March 2014, as a follow-up to the Climate Action Plan, the Obama Administration issued the Climate Action Plan: Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.Continue Reading EPA Issues Expansive, Costly New Source Performance Standards for Oil and Gas Sector