Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced an amendment to an appropriations package on Monday that would create a nationwide ban on new pipeline construction.
Ocasio-Cortez’s amendment to the Energy and Water Development bill in the minibus (H.R. 7617) would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from using any funding to issue permitting for new oil and gas pipelines, even for projects receiving positive Environmental Impact Statements.
Here it is straight from the amendment’s text:
None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Corps of Engineers to issue a permit under section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) for the discharge of dredged or fill material resulting from an activity to construct a pipeline for the transportation of oil or gas.
Ocasio-Cortez’s ban on pipeline infrastructure is just one of a number of anti-energy amendments offered by House Democrats on the funding package.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment that would ban the Army Corps from using funds in the bill to issue a Record of Decision on Pebble Mine in Alaska, despite the Army Corps clearing the mine in its final environmental review just last week. The action is the latest effort from Congressional Democrats to skirt the normal permitting process for the Pebble Mine Project, which had been blocked from even receiving an environmental review under the Obama administration.
Other amendments offered by House Democrats include subsidies for renewable energy including an amendment offered by Rep. Tom Malinovski (D. N.J.) to use taxpayer funds to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure.