I thank the chairman of the Small Business Committee, as well as the ranking member, for their work on this legislation. Senator Landrieu has spoken about the necessity, particularly in this environment today, as we are coming out of a…

It's somewhat amazing to me that the EPA has decided to make Alaska, of all places, its problem child.

I cannot understand how it can take so long for an agency to approve an air permit for a drilling rig.

I'm very concerned that, by using this designation, the EPA has, essentially, the ability to pre-emptively signal a veto.

I do not want to abolish the EPA. I simply want the EPA to do its job.

I've had so many people approach me and say, 'Lisa, you've got to reign in the EPA. They're out of control. They're going to put me out of business.'

The EPA used an arbitrary designation that is neither in statute nor in regulation.

I guess just a basic question is: Do you think that this is reasonable?

we're asking for the EPA to do its job, which is to issue the air-quality permit, not to make a determination as to whether or not exploration activity offshore Alaska is a go or no-go.

We're trying to figure out, in Alaska, as we're advancing this--we're looking at other projects that are out there.

One of the things that came up in this process--and you referenced the litigation, that's one thing--but, there were some different standards that were in place initially for nitrogen dioxide and no requirement for GHG emissions.

Well, and I appreciate the fact that you have just said that you don't believe that these that this will endanger human health, and that's what we're looking at in the issuance of these permits. So, then again, it begs the question, why…

And those analyses, as you have indicated to Senator Blunt, would be available through the whole rulemaking process that you have, that that cost analysis would be included.

Not coming from a farm or an agriculture State, I think the common person would look at this and can't believe that we're having a conversation that we would be regulating milk as an oil product and need to have some kind of a response…

What we are faced with--we just had the--a project in the interior of the State be denied because of an ARNI designation on the Tanana River.

the COE had approved a project. All the stakeholders involved had agreed that this was the project.

the EPA designation comes in and essentially circumvents that public input.

One of the areas where Alaskans have benefited from the EPA and their programs has been the Alaska Native Villages Program.

Well, we want to work with you on that. We recognize that these are tight budgets.

I asked you a number of questions about the implementation of the new GHG regulations under the CAA.

we need to better handle, in terms of what is what the criteria is and, more importantly, avoiding any arbitrary definitions.

I've been very critical of the EPA throughout this hearing, but I was raised by a mother who is very generous.

I appreciate the fact that we have the ability to be nimble as a Navy, as the marines, as our armed services are.

I think we recognize that with the challenges that we have faced with the Continuing Resolution, that doesn't respect the fact that you have a very, very brief window to get those materials on to the barge that will make it up there.

I rise today to reintroduce a bill and talk about an issue that has, unfortunately, become a regular occurrence in Alaska and holds great interest to the Nation and the world. I am talking about volcano monitoring. While erupting volcanoes…