Legislature set to vote on dividend, university funding, rural energy assistance
Steve Quinn, KTVA, July 29, 2019
The Senate and House on Monday are poised to vote on separate budget bills that have implications for the Permanent Fund dividend, college scholarships and efforts to restore significant portions of the $444 million vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
The House will take a final vote on a capital budget that not only draws federal matching dollars for highway, airport and construction projects, but it could also restore dozens of funds swept in the constitutional budget reserve. But that will take 30 votes rather than 21 from a simple majority, and the House fell five votes and a single vote short in previous efforts.
Our take: We will be watching closely as legislators take the floor today. The House will attempt to vote for a third and final time to fund the Capital Budget. The near billion dollars in federal match fund many of the capital improvement and maintenance projects that keep or state safe, and trade businesses employed. Now is a good time to contact your legislator and ask them to vote “YES” on funding the Capital Budget.
Legislation would launch wave of relocations
Marc Heller, E&E News, July 29, 2019
The Trump administration’s plans to move the Bureau of Land Management and two Agriculture Department agencies far away from the nation’s capital could be just the beginning of a wave of relocations, if legislation by Sen. Joni Ernst becomes reality.
The Iowa Republican introduced a bill last week to encourage executive agencies to move out of the Washington, D.C., area, with the exception of the Defense Department, the Energy Department, the State Department, the Executive Office of the President and others vital to national security.
From the Daily on Energy:
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL OPPOSE EPA GUIDANCE LIMITING STATE AUTHORITY OVER CLEAN WATER PERMITS FOR PIPELINES: A coalition of 14 Democratic state attorneys general is warning the EPA that the agency’s new guidance implementing President Trump’s executive order limiting state authority over oil and gas pipelines is illegal.
Trump signed an executive order April 10 designed to limit the instances in which blue states such as New York can reject pipeline projects using authority granted to states in Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Section 401 allows states to deny permits if leaks from an energy infrastructure project could harm nearby streams or lakes.
In comments filed Friday to the EPA, the Democratic attorneys general say the law provides states the primary authority to protect water quality within their borders, allowing for “broad discretion” in making decisions over pipeline certifications.
They also say EPA’s new guidance imposes burdensome limitations on states’ abilities to collect information about a project’s expected impacts on water quality, and sets “arbitrary and unreasonable” time limits on states’ completing water quality reviews.
“EPA’s guidance is yet another reckless attempt by the Trump Administration to weaken Clean Water Act protections for the nation’s waters,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “The EPA must withdraw this unlawful attempt to strip states of their authority to regulate water quality.
NOTICE OF DATES AND LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT MEETINGS
ON THE
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR THE
ALASKA LNG PROJECT
(July 26, 2019)
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will be present to receive comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Alaska LNG Project (Project) as follows:
| Date and Time (Alaska Daylight Time) | Public Comment Meeting Locations |
| Monday September 9, 2019 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Inupiat Heritage Center 5421 North Star Street Utqiagvik, AK 99723 |
| Trapper Creek Elementary School 6742 Petersville Road Trapper Creek, AK 99683 | |
| Tuesday September 10, 2019 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Nuiqsut Kisik Community Center 2230 Second Avenue Nuiqsut, AK 99789 |
| Houston Fire Station 9-1 13965 W Armstrong Road Houston, AK 99694 | |
| Wednesday September 11, 2019 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Tri-Valley Community Center 0.5 Mile Healy Spur Rd Healy, AK 99743 |
| Nikiski Recreation Center – Banquet Hall Mile 23.4 Kenai Spur Highway Nikiski, AK 99611 | |
| Thursday September 12, 2019 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor’s Center 101 Dunkel Street Fairbanks, AK 99701 |
| Dena’ina Center Khatnu 1 Room 600 West Seventh Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 |
The Bureau of Land Management will hold public subsistence hearings and solicit public testimony in two additional potentially affected communities as a part of its consideration under Section 810(a) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The Bureau of Land Management will conduct those hearings at the following locations and times:
| Date and Time (Alaska time) | Subsistence Hearing Location |
| Tuesday, September 17, 2019 6:00–9:00 pm | Anaktuvuk Pass Community Center 3031 Main Street Anaktuvuk Pass, AK 99721 |
| Thursday, September 19, 2019 6:00–9:00 pm | Kaktovik Community Center 2051 Barter Avenue Kaktovik, AK 99747 |
As a reminder, the Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions for your electronic or written comments so that your comments are properly recorded.
- You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission’s website (ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on the Project.
- You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission’s website (ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing” as the filing type.
- You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the following address. Be sure to reference the Project docket number (CP17‑178-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
