NE Wyoming News

Today, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced new legislation aimed at safeguarding Wyoming's energy sector from what she describes as the federal government's misuse of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The proposed bill intends to exempt certain decisions from being classified as "major federal actions" under NEPA, specifically targeting new coal, critical mineral, and fluid mineral leases. According to Hageman, this move seeks to establish regulatory balance between Wyoming's traditional industries and those favored by the Biden-Harris Administration.

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 authorized $280 billion for domestic semiconductor manufacturing and included NEPA exemptions that streamline projects for these preferred industries. However, conservatives in Congress have faced challenges in reforming NEPA to offer similar advantages to America's energy sector. Hageman’s legislation aims to extend comparable regulatory relief to extraction industries crucial for Wyoming’s economy and national security.

"While the Biden Administration has created carveouts to further his agenda, it has weaponized NEPA against Wyoming’s legacy industries, such as coal, oil, and gas," stated Congresswoman Hageman. "My legislation levels the playing field, ensuring that reliable energy projects aren’t singled out for unnecessarily long environmental analysis."

NEPA mandates federal agencies evaluate the environmental impact of major actions but has reportedly been used increasingly to delay or obstruct key energy and mineral projects. Critics argue that this approach creates a preferential system benefiting politically aligned industries while imposing greater regulatory challenges on sectors vital to both Wyoming's and America’s economic interests. Hageman’s proposal aims to restore fairness by exempting specific energy and mineral activities on federal lands from NEPA requirements.