ANWR bill: no humans or rights? Mining for security. Pebble suit dismissed.

In Home, News by wp_sysadmin

Human rights bill on ANWR ignores humans and their rights
Matthew Rexford, The Hill, May 20, 2019

The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, as it’s known, preaches a “moral responsibility to protect this wilderness heritage as an enduring resource to bequeath undisturbed to future generations of Americans”, but fails to acknowledge the basic needs of future generations of Arctic Iñupiat. The message this bill sends is that Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and the legislation’s co-sponsors prioritize the leisure whims of their eco-tourist constituencies above the needs of the Native people of Kaktovik and the North Slope.

Our take: Rexford hits the nail on the head later in the article—“We want to work to support our families, not lean on government subsidies for survival.”

Rare-Earth Mining: A National Security Imperative
Dean G. Popps, Real Clear Defense, May 21, 2019

Congress and the administration have done significant work to identify critical strategic vulnerabilities in our supply chain, including a foolish reliance on critical mineral imports from non-allied countries. Next, we must narrow these vulnerabilities to the extent possible by increasing U.S. production from American mines. Given that we’re nearly at full capacity on domestic mine production, the only way to do this will be through investment in new projects.

Judge dismisses Pebble-funded lawsuit against BBRSDA
Isabelle Ross, KTOO, May 20, 2019

The ruling focused on the scope of BBRSDA’s mission to promote and market seafood. The fishers suing the association define that mission narrowly and don’t view environmental protection as part of the association’s purview. BBRSDA argued that its activities fall within the broader definition of promoting seafood. The court agreed, holding that state statutes define promotion in broad terms. It also pointed out that the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development does not define what that mission entails.

Related: Corps corrects end date for Pebble project comment period

From the Daily on Energy:

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PRESSURE TREASURY TO IMPLEMENT CARBON CAPTURE TAX CREDIT: A bipartisan group of senators pushed the Treasury Department on Monday to move faster to implement an expanded tax credit for carbon capture projects signed into law more than a year ago. Sens. Whitehouse, John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., spearheaded a letter to Treasury requesting the agency commit additional staff to the development of a final rule to implement the 45Q tax credits. The senators, who were the lead sponsors of the bill expanding the tax credits, also urged Treasury to issue an interim rule to allow carbon capture projects to use the tax break immediately.

“Implementation of this legislation is critical for establishing a domestic market for carbon to reduce emissions, create and preserve jobs, and drive further commercial deployment of carbon capture projects,” the senators wrote in the letter.

Project developers have been unable to claim the credit without an implementing rule from Treasury.