Clean Water

Roundtable's Letter to Rep. Rahall Regarding H.R. 3534

Western Business Roundtable

On September 16, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable submitted a letter to Rep. Nick Rahall, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, expressing concern regarding the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (H.R.3534).

Western Business Roundtable

On October 15, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable submitted comments to the EPA regarding the agency's supplement to the proposed rulemaking to implement federal requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control Program for Carbon Dioxide Geologic Sequestration Wells.

Western Business Roundtable

On September 20, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable submitted comments regarding the Mineral Management Service’s proposed Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015.

Western Business Roundtable

Read the Roundtable's backgrounder on the enormous and largely untapped domestic energy resource that can be found on publicly owned lands in the oceans off the U.S. – known as the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), and learn why it is more important than ever that federal laws and regulations are changed to allow responsible access.

Western Business Roundtable

In a letter dated July 23, 2009, the Roundtable called on Members of Congress to oppose to the so-called Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009.

Western Business Roundtable

Congressional efforts to stymie the use of hydraulic fracturing would hurt energy consumers and imperil thousands of American jobs.

Western Business Roundtable

In a letter dated October 1, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable applauded the State of Colorado for its leadership on roadless policy issues.

Western Business Roundtable

On November 23, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable submitted comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed Strategic Plan for Climate Change and associated Five-Year Action Plan.

Western Business Roundtable

Two competing bills in the House Natural Resources Committee starkly illustrate a choice facing Congress today, say Western business leaders: promote greater American energy independence by supporting responsible development of the nation's natural resources, or push the U.S. toward increased reliance on foreign energy imports by advancing legislation that seeks to limit domestic access and production. Read More...

BACKGROUNDER: Why the OCS is Critical to American Energy Independence

Western Business Roundtable

Currently, the federal government prevents America from accessing some of the country's most promising homegrown energy resources. Read the Roundtable's backgrounder on why access and responsible development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is critical to American energy independence and take action by submitting comments to the MMS. Read More...

Roundtable Submits Comments on ESA Consultation Rulemaking

Western Business Roundtable

On August 3, 2009, the Western Business Roundtable submitted comments regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service's request for public comments on regulations governing interagency consultation and cooperation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Read More...

Roundtable Urges Congress to Support American Energy

Western Business Roundtable

Read the Roundtable's July 30 letter to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, calling for support of H.R. 2540, The Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy and Resource Security Act. Now is the time to support American energy and tap into the estimated trillions of barrels of oil available for recovery in the American West.

Western Business Roundtable

The U.S. Congress is about to vote to take away from state and local authorities authority to manage the most precious natural resource in the nation: water. Add your name to the rapidly growing list of state leaders across America who oppose this breathtaking power grab by the feds. Take action now! Read More...

Roundtable Letter to Sec. Ken Salazar on Recent Decision to Pull Oil & Gas Leases in Utah

Western Business Roundtable

Read the Western Business Roundtable's letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar regarding the Department’s recent decision to pull 77 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas leases in Utah, based upon the claim that insufficient consultation had occurred between the National Park Service (NPS) and the BLM prior to the regularly scheduled December 2008 sale. Read More...

Roundtable Applauds BLM and U.S. Forest Service For Implementation of Energy Corridors on Lands in 11 States

The Western Business Roundtable

The Western Business Roundtable applauds the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for moving forward quickly in approving a Record of Decision formally amending 92 land use plans in support of the designation of more than 6,000 miles of energy transport corridors on federal lands in 11 Western states. Read More...

Clean Water Act -- Stopping Massive Expansion of CWA Permitting Requirements a Key Priority for the Roundtable

A top priority for the Roundtable in the 111th Congress will be continued opposition to efforts, by the majority in Congress, to enact extreme an expansion of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Read More...

ESA Reform -- Roundtable Applauds DOI Finalization of ESA "Consultation" Rule

The Western Business Roundtable

The Western Business Roundtable has lauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for finalizing a new rule to modernize the interagency consultation process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).� Read More...

Public Lands Access -- Roundtable Supports BLM Push Back on House Committee "Emergency" Land Withdrawls

The Western Business Roundtable

The Roundtable supports a new rule by the Bureau of Land Management, which pushes back on efforts by the House Natural Resources Committee to insert itself into management decisions relative to energy and minerals development activities on federal lands. Read More...

Safe Drinking Water Act -- Oil and Gas "Beneficial Use" of Produced Water Bill Enacted

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Key water-related legislation, important to our oil and gas members, crossed the finish line in 2008. The Roundtable worked in coordination with oil and gas trade organizations to succesfully advance "The More Water, More Energy and Less Waste Act of 2007." Sponsored by Colorado Congressional leaders Congressman Mark Udall and Senator Ken Salazar, the law directs the Department of Interior to conduct a study to identify the obstacles to putting so-called "produced water" (water from underground source that is brought to the surface as part of primarily oil and gas exploration and development activities) to beneficial use.

The U.S. generates more than five million gallons of produced water each day. While this water can be and is used for agricultural purposes, most often it is handled as a waste and re-injected. The new law is intended to begin laying out an approach regarding how development of produced water resources could supplement water resources, especially in the arid West Read More...

Endangered Species Act -- Regulatory Reform Initiatives

Reform of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has long been a dream for energy development interests hampered by its restrictive requirements and costly consequences. Prior to the 110th Congress, the Roundtable was a central player in efforts to achieve legislative reform of ESA. Of course, with the changing of the guard in Washington, we have adjusted our ESA priorities to other arenas. Read More...

National Environmental Policy Act -- The Roundtable Applauds DOI NEPA Improvements

During the past few years, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) worked developing and implementing a list of regulatory reforms focused on making the current NEPA process work more efficiently. In the past year, federal agencies have slowly completed their part of this process. Read More...

Endangered Species Act -- Listings on Roundtable "Watch" LIst

2007 saw a shift in focus for the Roundtable on Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues. Whereas the previous few years we were able to focus primarily on regulatory and legislative reform initiatives, 2007 was dominated by a parade of listing petitions in the West. We are keeping our eye on a number of other looming threats related to ESA designations in the region. Many of these are clearly targeting energy development activities in the West.�Some of these are currently in litigation. Others we are watching for petition listing activities. The Roundtable specifically engaged on several specific petitions. Read More...

Federal Wilderness Designations -- Locking Up Western Lands & Water

While the fight over wilderness designations is perennial, the heat turned up in the 110th Congress. Democratic control of both bodies of Congress has meant a serious up-tick in the number and scope of legislative initiatives to reduce access to public lands. One of the chief concerns for the West in any discussion regarding federal land designations (be it wilderness, national parks or national monuments) is the impact that such designations may have on existing state-adjudicated water rights. Read More...

Energy Production -- Coalition Effort Gains Proper Oversight For Costs At Federal Hydropower Dams

The Western Business Roundtable

2008 saw enactment into law legislation protective of energy and power customers at federal hydropower dams. The Roundtable was a key member of the coalition of organizations that pushed that legislation through. Read More...

Energy Production -- Hydropower Issues

The Roundtable is involved in a number of issues of importance to the hydropower sector. We are avid advocates for a robust fuel portfolio, including a signficant -- and growing -- role for Western hydropower resources. There are a number of challenges facing the sector, not the least of which are the growing number of Endangered Species and water-quality issues. Read More...

Minerals Security -- Roundtable Responded to Forest Service Hardrock Minerals Rulemaking

In March 2008, the U.S. Forest Service proposed amendments to its regulations governing hardrock mineral activities on National Forest lands. The purpose of the rulemaking was to implement the recommendations of the 1999 National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council’s study “Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands.” Read More...

SMCRA -- DOI Office of Surface Mining Rulemaking Regarding Stream Buffer Requirements For Coal Mining Operations

The U.S. Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) has now finalized its long-awaited rulemaking that will make amendments to its stream buffer zone (SBZ) regulations for surface coal mines. Read More...

Safe Drinking Water Act and CO2 -- EPA Regulations for Underground Injection of CO2 for Sequestration

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new federal requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for the underground injection of CO2, for purposes of long-term underground storage or geological survey. The proposal sets a framework for regulation of siting, operation/closure of geological sequestration wells. The proposed rule, which is described here, was open for public comment through December 24, 2008. The Roundtable filed detailed comments.
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Climate Change and ESA -- Roundtable Pans DOI ESA Polar Bear Decision as Dangerous Precedent “Unsupported” By Real Data

A major focus of our attention in 2007-08 has been to mount an aggressive push-back on efforts by national environmental groups to establish climate change as a trigger for listings of species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Alaska polar bear was the precedent-setting case.