On March 28, the Republican Chair of the House Environmental Committee Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) said opponents of natural gas infrastructure projects “just need to be ignored and politically ran over.”

His remarks came as the Committee moved legislation to unleash Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry to produce and export more natural gas, including House Bill 2458 (White-R-Philadelphia) establishing a Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force to identify obstacles preventing the Port of Philadelphia from becoming an LNG export terminal and develop a plan on the issue within a year.   Read more here.

The full text of his comments follows--

“I think I'd like to see action more than I'd like to see a study.

“I don't think it should take a lot of study to understand that when you have a city that has a port, that they should be an area that you look to put one of these types of facilities that are going to be needed to help Europe in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine and the commitment that Biden made to have more liquid natural gas provided to Europe in the future.

“I think this NIMBY attitude that occurs with pipelines going through New York or with facilities being located in Philadelphia, the not in my backyard people, I think they ought to be run over with policy changes by the federal government and state government that are in the best interest of the citizens of this nation and best interest of our national security.

“This is a national security issue, but NIMBYs should have no input on not allowing this in their backyard when it's a viable alternative just 'cause they don't want it there.

“If there's a port there and it can be utilized to export liquid natural gas, we should be using it, and we shouldn't allow delays to occur with environmental groups or not in my backyard types or anybody else.

“Policy should be pushed through that's going to protect this nation, and those that are standing in the way of it just need to be ignored and politically ran over.”

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com.

NewsClips:

-- Warren Times: PA Republican Lawmakers Double Down On Oil, Gas Drilling

-- StateImpactPA - Jon Hurdle: PA Republican Measures To Boost Natural Gas Output Unlikely To Succeed, Analysts Say

Related Articles This Week:

-- Majority Chair Of Senate Committee Calls Opponents Of Natural Gas Infrastructure ‘Radical Environmentalists,’ Arguments By Of Supporters Of RGGI ‘Hysteria’

-- Republicans On House Committee Move Bills To Unleash Natural Gas Industry In Pennsylvania, Kill RGGI

-- Senate Committees Hear Familiar Pro/Con Comments On Economic, Environmental Impacts Of EQB’s Final Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants - RGGI 

-- Sen. Casey: PA To Receive $186 Million To Lower Energy Costs For Families From Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Related Articles:
-- 6th Oil/Natural Gas Shock: U.S. - European Commission Agreement Calls For Reducing Demand For All Natural Gas And Accelerating Deployment Of Clean Energy Measures 

-- PA’s Experience With New Pipeline Construction Shows State Laws Not Strong Enough To Prevent Environmental Damage, Protect Public Safety

-- Republican Senators Propose Gas Drilling On At Least 22,000 More Acres Of State Forest, Mining 920 Acres Of Coal Under A State Park To Pay For DCNR Infrastructure Backlog 

-- Senate Committees Will Now Hold March 29 Hearing On Economic Impacts Of DEP Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants

[Posted: March 28, 2022]

4/4/2022