Steven Holt: “I thank the Chair. H.R. 1229 includes language that would add a timeline to the permitting process for offshore oil and…”

“I thank the Chair. H.R. 1229 includes language that would add a timeline to the permitting process for offshore oil and gas drilling. This provision states that, ``If the Secretary has not made a decision on the application by the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date the application is received by the Secretary, the application is deemed approved.'' My amendment would simply strike this section. In other words, as it stands in the legislation before us, if for whatever reason--incomplete information, new information--the Secretary has not made a decision whether or not to approve the application, then the application will be considered from then on approved. There are a number of provisions in this bill that could make offshore drilling less safe. My amendment is aimed at perhaps the most dangerous of those provisions. This bill short-circuits existing requirements to protect oil industry workers and those who depend on marine resources for their livelihoods and so forth. Ensuring that environmental and safety standards are met--so that the new permits will not result in a repeat of the Deepwater Horizon disaster--is really too important to allow permits to go through the door prematurely and automatically simply because of an arbitrary timeline imposed by this legislation. Depending on the dedication of a particular Secretary to safety and environmental protection, H.R.…”