National Energy Security Corridors Act
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to allow natural gas pipeline rights-of-way through all federally owned lands, including lands in the National Park System, except lands held in trust for an Indian or Indian tribe and lands on the outer Continental Shelf.
The Department of the Interior must: (1) identify and designate suitable federal lands as National Energy Security Corridors for construction, operation, and maintenance of natural gas transmission facilities; and (2) incorporate such Corridors into the relevant agency land use and resource management plans.
Additionally, Interior shall: (1) take into account certain considerations when evaluating federal land for designation as a National Energy Security Corridor, and (2) establish specified procedures to expedite and approve applications for rights-of-way for natural gas pipelines across National Energy Security Corridors.
The governor of a state may request Corridors to be designated on federal land within that state.
For purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 neither the designation of a Corridor, nor the incorporation of a Corridor into agency plans, shall be treated as a major federal action subject to environmental impact evaluation.
All applications for rights-of-way for natural gas transmission facilities across the designated Corridors shall be subject to specified environmental protections.
(Sec. 3) Interior shall notify certain congressional committees whenever an agency or Interior official fails to comply with federal authorization schedules established under the Natural Gas Act.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2295 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2295
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the
Interior to identify and designate National Energy Security Corridors
for the construction of natural gas pipelines on Federal land, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2015
Mr. MacArthur (for himself and Mr. Richmond) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the
Interior to identify and designate National Energy Security Corridors
for the construction of natural gas pipelines on Federal land, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Energy Security Corridors
Act''.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY CORRIDORS ON FEDERAL
LANDS.
(a) In General.--Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
185) is amended as follows:
(1) In subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``(b)(1) For the purposes of this
section `Federal lands' means'' and inserting the
following:
``(b)(1) For the purposes of this section `Federal lands'--
``(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means''; and
(B) by adding at the end of paragraph (1) the
following:
``(B) for purposes of granting an application for a natural
gas pipeline right-of-way, means all lands owned by the United
States except--
``(i) such lands held in trust for an Indian or
Indian tribe; and
``(ii) lands on the Outer Continental Shelf.''.
(2) By redesignating subsection (b), as so amended, as
subsection (z), and transferring such subsection to appear
after subsection (y) of that section.
(3) By inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) National Energy Security Corridors.--
``(1) Designation.--In addition to other authorities under
this section, the Secretary shall--
``(A) identify and designate suitable Federal lands
as National Energy Security Corridors (in this
subsection referred to as a `Corridor'), which shall be
used for natural gas transmission facilities; and
``(B) incorporate such Corridors upon designation
into the relevant agency land use and resource
management plans or equivalent plans.
``(2) Considerations.--In evaluating Federal lands for
designation as a National Energy Security Corridor, the
Secretary shall--
``(A) employ the principle of multiple use to
ensure route decisions balance national energy security
needs with existing land use principles;
``(B) seek input from other Federal counterparts,
State, local, and tribal governments, and affected
utility and pipeline industries to determine the best
suitable, most cost-effective, and commercially viable
acreage for natural gas transmission facilities;
``(C) focus on transmission routes that improve
domestic energy security through increasing
reliability, relieving congestion, reducing natural gas
prices, and meeting growing demand for natural gas; and
``(D) take into account technological innovations
that reduce the need for surface disturbance.
``(3) Procedures.--The Secretary shall establish procedures
to expedite and approve applications for rights-of-way for
natural gas pipelines across National Energy Security
Corridors, that--
``(A) ensure a transparent process for review of
applications for rights-of-way on such corridors;
``(B) require an approval time of not more than 1
year after the date of receipt of an application for a
right-of-way; and
``(C) require, upon receipt of such an application,
notice to the applicant of a predictable timeline for
consideration of the application, that clearly
delineates important milestones in the process of such
consideration.
``(4) State input.--
``(A) Requests authorized.--The Governor of a State
may submit a request to the Secretary of the Interior
to designate a Corridor on Federal land in that State.
``(B) Consideration of requests.--After receiving
such a request, the Secretary shall respond in writing,
within 30 days--
``(i) acknowledging receipt of the request;
and
``(ii) setting forth a timeline in which
the Secretary shall grant, deny, or modify such
request and state the reasons for doing so.
``(5) Spatial distribution of corridors.--In implementing
this subsection, the Secretary shall coordinate with other
Federal Departments to--
``(A) minimize the proliferation of duplicative
natural gas pipeline rights-of-way on Federal lands
where feasible;
``(B) ensure Corridors can connect effectively
across Federal lands; and
``(C) utilize input from utility and pipeline
industries submitting applications for rights-of-way to
site corridors in economically feasible areas that
reduce impacts, to the extent practicable, on local
communities.
``(6) Not a major federal action.--Designation of a
Corridor under this subsection, and incorporation of Corridors
into agency plans under paragraph (1)(B), shall not be treated
as a major Federal action for purpose of section 102 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
``(7) No limit on number or length of corridors.--Nothing
in this subsection limits the number or physical dimensions of
Corridors that the Secretary may designate under this
subsection.
``(8) Other authority not affected.--Nothing in this
subsection affects the authority of the Secretary to issue
rights-of-way on Federal land that is not located in a Corridor
designated under this subsection.''.
(b) Applications Received Before Designation of Corridors.--Any
application for a right-of-way under section 28 of the Mineral Leasing
Act (30 U.S.C. 185) that is received by the Secretary of the Interior
before designation of National Energy Security Corridors under the
amendment made by subsection (a) of this section shall be reviewed and
acted upon independently by the Secretary without regard to the process
for such designation.
(c) Deadline.--Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall designate at least 10
National Energy Security Corridors under the amendment made by
subsection (a) in contiguous States referred to in section 368(b) of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15926(b)).
SEC. 3. NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.
The Secretary of the Interior shall promptly notify the Committee
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate of each instance in which
any agency or official of the Department of the Interior fails to
comply with any schedule established under section 15(c) of the Natural
Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717n(c)).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged.
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 15.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 114-285.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 114-285.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 217.
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