Last week Rep. Kelly (D,IL) introduced HR 2636,
the Petroleum Coke Transparency and Public Health Protection Act. This bill
would require a health and safety study of petroleum coke, a solid byproduct of
the refining of heavy crude oil, and the subsequent development of regulations.
This bill is related to HR
2298 and S
1388 introduced (and died) in the 113th Congress.
In my earlier post on HR 2298 I had a fairly lengthy
discussion about the issues surrounding petroleum coke. At that time this was
mainly a Detroit, MI related issue, but the rise of petroleum coke piles on
the Southside of Chicago have expanded the areas (and number of people)
concerned about this issue. The EPA has taken some actions with
regard to the dust issue in Chicago.
This version of the bill would require much the same type of
study mentioned in the earlier bills and would require the results of the study
to be posted on the HHS web site. Where this bill is different, however, it
that it requires in §4
that the EPA would develop “rules concerning the storage and transportation of
petroleum coke that ensure the protection of public and ecological health based
upon the findings of the study”.
Moving Forward
Rep. Kelly is not on the Energy and Commerce Committee so it
is unlikely that she has the pull to get that Committee to consider this bill.
Since petroleum coke is a byproduct of heavy crude (read Canadian Tar Sands)
refining there is likely to be serious Republican opposition to this bill based
upon the appearance that it is an attack on the Keystone Pipeline.
Normally we might have seen this offered as an amendment to
the LHHSE spending bill, but the inclusion of §4 would preclude that due to the House rules against
legislating in a spending bill. Without that provision it might be successfully
offered and passed.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment