Current events that have nothing to do with the environment but everything to do with politics might have caused the defeat of a bill to overturn an Obama-era rule designed to reduce methane emissions on federal lands.
A rule finalized last November by Sally Jewell, former secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, to "Reduce Methane Emissions & Wasted Gas on Public, Tribal Lands" for the purpose of creating a "cleaner and more sustainable energy future," will remain in place thanks to three Republican senators who chose to buck their party.
Environmentalists had targeted Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to oppose a bill that would have overturned the rule. An unexpected "no" vote was cast by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, adding enough opposition to send the bill to defeat.
The Senate killed the bill, H.J.Res.36, with a 49-51 vote on Wednesday. In all, 46 Democrats, two Independents, and the three aforementioned Republicans voted against the resolution. It needed only 50 votes to pass after passing the House in early February on a 221-191 vote along party lines. Thursday, May 11 was the deadline to rescind rules from the prior administration using the Congressional Review Act.
David Dayen explains McCain's surprising vote for The Intercept:
Senate leaders like Mitch McConnell don’t typically advance votes on legislation unless they know it will pass. The Senate floor is almost never the scene for unexpected activity. So what happened?
It may have been Donald Trump’s firing of James Comey......
“When you fire probably, arguably, the most respected person in America, you’d better have a very good explanation, and so far I haven’t seen that,” McCain said. He added that the firing would cause legislative problems.
Three key Republican Senators came together to kill off one of Trump’s favorite pieces of legislation, in what may or may not be a sign that they’re now prepared to use the Senate to shut him down.
McCain and Graham are not exactly known as environmentalists. And yet they chose this bill to suddenly take a stand against a Donald Trump-backed piece of legislation, and they did it just one day after Trump fired James Comey.
About the rule and the Congressional Review Act
"The rule would force oil and gas companies to capture methane that had been previously burned off or 'flared' at drilling sites," report for The Washington Post.
According to federal estimates, the rule would prevent roughly 180,000 tons a year of methane from escaping into the atmosphere and would boost federal revenue between $3 million and $13 million a year because firms only pay royalties on the oil and gas they capture and contain.
"The vote marked the first time since Trump’s election that Republicans have failed in their attempt to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn Obama-era rules. Thirteen other resolutions, based on the 1996 law that allows Congress to overturn rules within 60 legislative workdays of their adoption, have succeeded.
Two other "no" votes were noteworthy, add Elperin and Harvey.
Two Democrats who had considered backing the rule’s elimination — Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — voted against the motion, and sent a letter [pdf] asking Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to make it less burdensome.
Environmental and public health groups ran a vigorous campaign targeting them and centrist Republicans to oppose the rule rollback. Mark Hand of Think Progress captures many of their positive reactions to the defeat of the resolution.
Related in Planetizen:
-
Energy and Environmental Regulations Under Attack—by Congress, February 2, 2017Two environmental regulations enacted by the Obama Administration are expected to be rescinded under the Congressional Review Act: the Stream Protection Rule that protects water from mountaintop coal mining and limits on flaring methane emissions.
FULL STORY: Senate unexpectedly rejects bid to repeal a key Obama-era environmental regulation
Latest Obama-Era Regulations Targeted by the Trump Administration: Methane Rules
One Obama-era climate regulation still on the books deals with methane leakage from oil and gas wells. The greenhouse gas is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Another methane regulation targeted deals with flaring on federal lands.
Appeals Court Rebuffs Trump's EPA on Methane Emissions Suspension
In a win for the environment, a D.C. Circuit panel ruled that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt could not arbitrarily suspend the starting date of a landmark Obama rule that would reduce methane emissions from new and modified oil and gas wells.
Coal Miners Are Going Back to Work, Proclaims Trump Upon Signing Executive Order
Flanked by coal miners, President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that begins the roll back of his predecessor's signature environmental rule, the Clean Power Plan, and other environmental regulations to facilitate energy production.
The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.
‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.
Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.
Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.
$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.
Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
