Today, U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) introduced the "Regulatory Fairness Act of 2014," which would limit the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) role in reviewing Clean Water Act (CWA) permits by prohibiting the agency from preemptive or retroactively vetoing a permit under Section 404 of the Act.
"The Regulatory Fairness Act of 2014 would give American businesses a fair shot at going through the process of building or mining without having to worry about politics getting in the way," said Vitter. "After seeing the EPA grossly overstep on established permitting procedures, it's clear that this legislation is necessary to prevent a serious disincentive to investing in America and distinctly state what the EPA can and cannot do."
Vitter and Manchin have previously teamed up to defend the Mingo Logan project.
The "Regulatory Fairness Act of 2014" would also prevent the Agency from preemptively vetoing Clean Water Act (CWA) permits in the case of the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Recently, the EPA has attempted to predetermine the fate of mining locations before proponents have properly gone through the permitting process.
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