White House threatens to veto gas pipeline bill

The White House is threatening to veto a House bill that would set time limits on federal reviews of natural gas pipelines.

Under the bill, if a federal agency misses its deadline to approve or deny a proposed pipeline, the permit would be issued automatically.

{mosads}In a memo issued Tuesday, the White House said the bill sets “rigid, unworkable” timelines. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would have a year for its review, and other federal agencies would get 90 days.

“The bill’s requirements could force agencies to make decisions based on incomplete information or information that may not be available, including potential environmental and community impacts of the proposed pipelines, within the stringent deadlines, and to deny applications that otherwise would have been approved, but for lack of sufficient review time,” the White House said.

“For these reasons, the bill may actually delay projects or lead to more project denials, undermining the intent of the legislation.”

If the House and Senate pass the bill, President Obama’s advisers “would recommend that he veto the bill,” they said.

The White House also FERC has issued 91 percent of its gas pipeline permit decisions since 2009 within a year, and the remainder were “complex” proposals that needed more consideration.

For House Republicans, the bill is a step toward modernizing what they see as an outdated and inefficient paradigm surrounding federal involvement in energy infrastructure.

“It is critical that the process for reviewing natural gas pipelines is modernized, especially as natural gas becomes more prevalent as a source of electricity generation,” Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement earlier in January.

The House Rules Committee is voting on the bill Tuesday, and House leaders expect a vote on the floor as soon as Wednesday.