States will have less time and no reasons other than water quality concerns to try to block energy infrastructure projects requiring federal licenses and permits—including oil and natural gas pipelines— under a final EPA rule released Monday.
The Environmental Protection Agency rule (RIN: 2040-AF86) aims to discourage coastal states from relying on part of the Clean Water Act to block fossil fuel projects that pass through their states.
Certain states were “inappropriately” holding up critical energy infrastructure projects, and this rule “puts an end to an abuse to this practice,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told news reporters Monday.
The ...