PRESS RELEASE: Heartland Institute Experts React to Trump’s Order to Prevent States from Blocking Pipelines

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL (April 10, 2019) – Today, President Donald Trump will sign executive orders to make it more difficult for state governments to block permits for pipelines and other energy-related structures under the Clean Water Act. The Trump administration says this is necessary because states controlled by Democrats, such as New York, have abused this power to prevent infrastructure projects, including natural gas pipelines and coal export terminals.

The following statements from climate experts at The Heartland Institute —a free-market think tank— may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program – including a live TV remote from Heartland’s studio, which can connect to any station or network in the world – please contact Media Specialist Billy Aouste at [email protected] and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 847/445-7554.


“For years, far-left politicians have abused their authority and deprived America of much-needed energy infrastructure. This executive order by President Donald Trump is just what is needed to create thousands more high-paying jobs in the energy industry, protect U.S. national security, and enhance the reliability and affordability of America’s energy supply.”

Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D.
President
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“President Trump’s executive order is long overdue. Environmental extremists and radical politicians in deep blue states overstep their bounds when they shut down the transportation of energy sources based on politicized, anti-science agendas. The rest of America should never be allowed to be victimized by such highway, railway, and pipeline banditry.”

James Taylor
Senior Fellow for Environmental Policy
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“Environmentalists don’t want oil transport at all. They try to block pipelines, and the alternate transport options of rail and truck. They don’t seem to care if people freeze to death in the winter for lack of heating oil. What president Trump is doing is throwing down the gauntlet and saying ‘enough!'”

Anthony Watts
Senior Fellow for Environment and Climate
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]|
312/377-4000


“Pipelines are the safest and most efficient mode of transport for natural gas and petroleum. This infrastructure is crucial to continued U.S. energy security and independence. States preventing the construction of interstate pipelines has long violated and infringed on interstate commerce while threatening U.S. energy security.”

George Jamerson
Director of Government Relations
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“Only Congress has the constitutional responsibility to regulate interstate commerce and Trump’s executive order ensures states don’t interfere with this power in relation to oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure critical to the nation’s economic well-being and energy independence.”

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow, Environment & Energy Policy
The Heartland Institute
Managing Editor, Environment & Climate News
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“This executive order will hopefully clarify the Clean Water Act permitting process and prevent politicians, radical activists, and bureaucrats in states with anti-fossil fuel agendas from taking advantage of loopholes in the law to prevent legislators in pro-energy freedom states from taking actions to ensure their constituents have access to affordable, abundant sources of energy.”

Tim Benson
Policy Analyst
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“This is one more step in the right direction following up on a few of the first orders by President Trump when he stated the Keystone XL should be completed and approved the completion of the DAPL pipeline in ND.  Minnesota is holding up new and replacement pipelines that are necessary for energy growth that leads to National security. Misguided actions by some states have negative and costly impacts far beyond their borders and they should not be able to hide behind questionable interpretations of federal law.”

Bette Grande
Research Fellow, Energy Policy
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000

 

Ms. Grande represented the 41st District in the North Dakota Legislature from 1996 to 2014.


The Heartland Institute is a 35-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our website or call 312/377-4000.