Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Energy and Mineral Resources
Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Admin’s Suspension of Unjustified, Potentially Illegal Oil and Gas Leases in Arctic Refuge – “The Push to Drill Became a Scam”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration's decision to suspend the oil and gas leases issued in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), which was opened to drilling by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The news was first reported by Politico this afternoon. The Trump administration sold and issued the leases on a needlessly rapid schedule, without adequate review of public input or environmental impacts, and those leases are now be… Continue Reading
05.27.21
Chair Grijalva Questions Biden Admin Backing for Major Alaska Oil Drilling Project – Calls for Careful Review, Genuine Public Input Process
Washington D.C. - Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the Biden administration's decision to defend in court ConocoPhillips' Willow Master Development Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. "The Biden administration's decision to back ConocoPhillips' massive oil and gas project in Alaska needs to be coupled with a careful review of the environmental impacts this project will have on Native American communities and on air, wate… Continue Reading
05.05.21
Chair Grijalva: After Today’s Markup, The Democratic Path Forward on Conservation is Clear – Environmental Justice and Taxpayer Fairness are Key
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said after the conclusion of today's markup - which finished a process that began on April 28 - that the Democratic legislative strategy on national conservation policy is now clearly focused on environmental justice, taxpayer fairness and climate protection. The Committee advanced a series of bills that increase taxpayer return for the private use of public resources, protect marginalized communities from exploitation, and reduce wastef… Continue Reading
04.22.21
Chair Grijalva Encourages Sec. Haaland to Return Bureau of Land Management Headquarters to Washington, Reverse Trump-Era Effort to Undermine Morale
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging her to return Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Washington, D.C., from Grand Junction, Colo., where former BLM Director William Perry Pendley moved it during the Trump administration as part of a largely successful effort to undermine staff morale and force career experts to leave the agency. The letter, available online at https://bit.ly/3elpaFD, underscores the importa… Continue Reading
04.21.21
Chair Grijalva: Biden Administration Right to Pause Fossil Fuel Leasing on Public Lands – Equating Constant Drilling With a Strong Economy Isn’t Serious
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the Bureau of Land Management's announcement that it will not hold oil and gas lease sales on public lands for the second quarter of the year, pending the results of Biden administration's ongoing review of climate policy: "The Biden administration is right to put fossil fuel leasing on pause while it finishes its review, just as anyone would do during any similar review period. Treating constant fossi… Continue Reading
04.19.21
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Lowenthal Release GAO Report Showing Offshore Pipeline Oversight Failures; New Bill From Rep. Brownley Addresses Findings
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) does not provide adequate oversight of thousands of miles of active offshore oil and gas pipelines and that BSEE does not have a robust process to ensure obsolete pipelines left on the seafloor follow federal sa… Continue Reading
04.16.21
Chair Grijalva Hails Climate Orders From Interior Secretary Haaland: “Real Solutions Require Long-Term Engagement, And This Is a Smart Approach”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the two new orders signed by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland today to prioritize action on climate change and make policy decisions more transparent. "This administration understands that preventing climate collapse and putting our economy on a more sustainable path takes a lot of work and meaningful consultation with people impacted by federal policies. Today's secretarial orders set up our country fo… Continue Reading
03.29.21
Chair Grijalva Hails Major New Biden Administration Investments in Offshore Wind
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the Biden administration's announcement of wide-ranging investments to support responsible expansion of the offshore wind industry and prioritize the construction of 30 gigawatts of new offshore wind power by 2030, an effort expected to put tens of thousands of Americans to work in good-paying unionized jobs and make the nation's energy grid more climate-compatible. The moves announced today, Grijalva said, are another sign … Continue Reading
03.29.21
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin – Sponsors of Environmental Justice for All Act – Applaud White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Members
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), sponsors of the Environmental Justice for All Act, today hailed the announced membership of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) and called for broad action by the executive branch to implement a strong environmental justice agenda at all levels of the federal government. Pointing to President Biden's Jan. 27 executive order - which begins by committing to the pursuit of en… Continue Reading
03.18.21
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin Reintroduce Environmental Justice for All Act – Widely Supported Effort Comes as Congress Eyes New Investments
This release has been updated from its original version to reflect Rep. Yvette Clarke's (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández's (D-N.M.) status as original cosponsors of the House bill. Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) reintroduced their landmark Environmental Justice for All Act today, supported by a wide array of grassroots groups and environmental advocates from across the country. The bill, available online at http://bi… Continue Reading
03.17.21
In Test for Environmental Justice, Chair Grijalva and Rep. McEachin Urge Biden to Revoke Permits for Proposed Plastics Plant in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), authors of the landmark Environmental Justice for All Act, wrote to President Biden today urging him to revoke Army Corps of Engineers permits for the proposed Formosa Plastics petrochemical complex located in St. James Parish. The site is in the heart of Louisiana's Cancer Alley corridor, one of the most heavily polluted regions of the United States, and the community residents have expressly asked t… Continue Reading
03.16.21
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Neguse, Sens. Blumenthal and Luján Lead Bicameral Letter to Biden Urging Stakeholder-Driven Process to Meet Conservation Goals
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) today sent a bicameral letter, cosigned by 99 House and 17 Senate Democratic colleagues, to President Biden urging him to adopt a transparent, stakeholder-driven process in deciding how best to preserve American lands and waters as part of the administration's "30 by 30" initiative. Choosing which areas to preserve, the lawmakers write, sh… Continue Reading
03.15.21
Chair Grijalva on Confirmation of Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary: “A Historic Step Toward Redeeming Our Nation’s Relationship With First Americans”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the confirmation of Deb Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior. "The confirmation of Sec. Deb Haaland is a historic step toward redeeming our nation's relationship with first Americans. Sec. Haaland will bring to the Interior Department and the Biden administration a profound responsibility and commitment to climate change, equity, and public actions that all Americans will benefit from. Sec. H… Continue Reading
03.15.21
Chair Grijalva Introduces “Save Oak Flat Act” to Permanently Protect Tribal Sacred Site in Central Arizona From Destructive Mining
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Save Oak Flat Act to permanently protect the Oak Flat area of Tonto National Forest from destructive mining proposals. Oak Flat, or Chi'chil Bildagoteel, is of significant cultural importance and considered sacred by many tribal communities in Arizona, including the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which has resisted a years-long effort by Resolution Copper - owned by international mining conglomerates BHP and Rio Tinto - to… Continue Reading
03.09.21
Chair Grijalva Hails DOI Announcement of March 25 Forum on Federal Fossil Fuel Policy – Highlights Today’s Hearing Identifying Badly Needed Reforms
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the announcement of a March 25 Department of the Interior forum with a variety of labor, economic justice, and environmental advocates on the future of federal fossil fuel policies. The event, which will also include industry representatives, will help chart a course for the development of an interim Biden administration report on proposed reforms to fossil fuel laws and regulations that will likely be published this summer.… Continue Reading
03.02.21
Chair Grijalva Welcomes Introduction of Clean Future Act, Hails Inclusion of Environmental Justice Measures, Looks Forward to Upcoming Collaboration
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today welcomed the introduction of the Clean Future Act by Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill includes several environmental justice measures consistent with the approach outlined by Grijalva's and Rep. A. Donald McEachin's (D-Va.) Environmental Justice for All Act in the 116th Congress, including an effort to address the cumulative impacts of multiple pollution sources on environmental j… Continue Reading
03.01.21
Chair Grijalva, After Years of Highlighting Need for Tribal Consultation, Cheers Withdrawal of Key Federal Analysis for Exploitative Oak Flat Mining Project
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who has for many years highlighted the need for federal tribal consultation before moving forward with the Resolution Copper mining project in central Arizona, today hailed the news that the U.S. Forest Service is withdrawing its final environmental impact statement and draft record of decision issued on Jan. 15 and will conduct a thorough review before proceeding any further with the preparation of new analyses at the site. Grijal… Continue Reading
02.22.21
Chair Grijalva Leads Letter to Acting Sec. of Agriculture Urging Withdrawal of Flawed Analysis of Oak Flat Mining Project Rushed Out by Trump Admin
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) sent a previously unannounced letter on Friday to acting Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Shea, signed by 21 House Democratic colleagues, urging the withdrawal of the U.S. Forest Service final environmental impact statement (FEIS) assessing the likely impacts of the proposed Resolution Copper mining project in central Arizona. The Trump administration rushed the document to publication on Jan. 15, just days before President Biden took offi… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Chair Grijalva Helps Secure Landmark Tribal Water Wins, Saguaro National Park Expansion, Renewable Energy, Insular Resources in End-of-Year Federal Funding Law
Washington D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today highlighted the inclusion of his Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion Act, along with landmark tribal water priorities, renewable energy wins, and Insular provisions as part of the Fiscal Year 2021, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133) set to become law this week. H.R. 133 advances multiple tribal water rights settlements, including the largest water rights settlement in history be… Continue Reading
12.14.20
Chair Grijalva on Continuation of Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in 117th Congress: "The Whole Country Will Benefit From Seeing Their Work Continue"
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the recent announcement that the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will continue its work in the 117th Congress under Chairwoman Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). Chair Grijalva recently published an op-ed in Politico Magazine - available online at https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/08/biden-climate-unity-grijalva-443650 - titled "Biden Needs to Go Big on the Climate." "The Select Committe… Continue Reading