The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) has urged Congress to swiftly introduce and pass legislation for energy infrastructure permitting reforms. The association maintains that additional pipeline infrastructure is necessary to meet the nation's energy objectives, but the permitting process can hinder projects.
According to an INGAA press release, new and expanded natural gas pipeline projects frequently experience delays lasting years due to inefficiencies in the federal permitting process. These inefficiencies include duplicative reviews, burdensome approvals, and persistent legal challenges.
The press release also revealed that INGAA is encouraged by recent discussions on permitting reforms in Congress. These include a discussion in the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources that could result in a beneficial bipartisan permitting reform proposal. Another discussion pertains to a House bill aiming to improve permitting processes under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
"INGAA calls upon Congress to move quickly to introduce and pass legislation that would not only meaningfully address Section 404 of the CWA, but also improve permitting processes under Section 401 of the CWA, establish higher judicial review standards and timelines, and make clarifications to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)," said INGAA in its press release.
According to a 2019 INGAA factsheet, pipeline projects require approvals or permits from multiple federal agencies and bureaus. These include the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The INGAA represents most interstate natural gas transmission pipeline companies in both United States and Canada. Its membership includes 26 entities operating nearly 200,000 miles of pipeline.
