OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Dems blast bill to block climate rule

‘MISGUIDED AND UNFORTUNATE’: That’s Rep. Frank Pallone’s (D-N.J.) assessment of the GOP’s bill intended to fight the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate rule.

At a hearing Tuesday on the bill, Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, urged his colleagues to “view this bill for what it really is: an amendment to the Clean Air Act, which would overturn the principle of cooperative federalism that has been in place for more than 40 years.”

{mosads}The bill by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) would let state governors veto any plan to comply with the regulation for a variety of reasons like electricity cost or reliability concerns.

“This unprecedented rule, which will increase electricity rates; affect reliability; cost billions of dollars; make EPA the energy czar for America, will not have a significant impact on climate change,” Whitfield said.

Janet McCabe, who heads the EPA’s air pollution control efforts, said the bill was not needed, because the agency devoted “significant attention” to those concerns in its rule.

Read more here.

GREEN GROUPS SLAM GOP WORK: As Congress nears the 100-day mark this week, a group of pro-environment groups hit Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans for working to undermine federal environment laws so far this session. 

The groups blasted Republicans for voting to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and supporting changes to endangered species laws and clean water rules.

“This Congress is rewarding big oil, coal, gas, with votes, amendments, bills that attempt to undermine the fundamental bedrock laws that the environmental community has been fighting for the last 45 years,” said Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, on Tuesday. 

The groups said they’re coordinating a PR campaign against congressional Republicans’ environmental policies for the rest of the year. 

Read more here.

ON TAP WEDNESDAY I: The Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee will mark up its 2016 appropriations bill. The committee released its draft bill on Tuesday, proposing to spend $35 billion on energy and water programs next year, a boost over current levels but $633 million less than the Obama administration has requested. 

ON TAP WEDNESDAY II: A subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday to discuss the Obama administration’s draft five-year plan for offshore oil and natural gas drilling. Lawmakers will hear from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Abigail Hopper, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and various private and local representatives.

Rest of Tuesday’s agenda …

Another subcommittee of the Natural Resources panel will hold a hearing on the impact of federal land acquisition on local communities. The witnesses represent various state and local interests.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will continue marking up three bills, including one dealing with coal combustion residuals and one on efficiency standards for grid-enabled water heaters.  

Cheniere Energy President Charif Souki will speak to the Atlantic Council on the U.S.’s impact on global energy markets 

Four U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners will testify on President Obama’s nuclear regulatory commission budget request before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee holds a hearing on the United Nations climate pledge and its impact on taxes.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet Wednesday to vote on a suite of bills, including the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act, which would overturn the EPA’s waters of the United States proposed rule.

NEWS BITE: Former Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso’s troubles didn’t end when he resigned under pressure in March.

Arthur Elkins Jr., inspector general for CSB and the Environmental Protection Agency, told members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today that his office “has notified the U.S. attorney that [Moure-Eraso] may have committed perjury as well as other crimes.”

Elkins said a former technology official gave his staff information about Moure-Eraso that allegedly included “inconsistencies” with what he told Congress under oath.

Elkins did not elaborate on the allegations.

Moure-Eraso had been accused by lawmakers of using a private email account in violation of the Federal Records Act, among other problems.

AROUND THE WEB:

The Washington Post published a video highlighting tensions around a Brazil iron ore mine on the edge of the Carajas National Forest.

A Minnesota congresswoman has introduced a bill to ban precious metal mining around national wilderness land there, MinnPost reports.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has appointed a political insider who admittedly has very little energy expertise as his energy adviser, WITF reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Tuesday’s stories …

– Dems hit back at McConnell, ask states to follow climate rule
– Boxer slams McCarthy’s ‘small measure’ drought fix
– GOP rips Obama official for skipping hearing
– Lawmakers push bill to protect Delaware River
– Green groups slam first 100 days of GOP Senate
– EPA: House bill could delay review of toxic chemicals ‘indefinitely’
– EPA, Dems assail bill targeting climate rule
– Washington state considering gas tax hike
– House panel releases $35 billion spending bill for energy, water
– Tribes say no to Keystone
– Japan halts restart of nuclear power reactors

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