Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
may 2014
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congress
Senate confirms Schneider as Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
On May 1, the Senate approved Janice Schneider as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management (ASLM) in the Department of the Interior (DOI) by a vote of 64-32. Schneider will guide management and use of oil and gas, coal, and renewable energy resources on public lands and waters. Her jurisdiction includes the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. According to DOI, public lands and offshore areas produced energy that contributed $230 billion to the national economy and supported 1.2 million jobs in fiscal year (FY) 2012.
Schneider is an environmental lawyer in Washington, D.C., who served as an Interior official in the Clinton administration. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell praised Schneider saying, “With experience in both the public and private sectors, she will be an advocate for a balanced approach and a science-based decision-making process that both advances the President’s key energy initiatives and promotes the conservation of our federal lands and natural resources.”
Schneider replaces Tommy Beaudreau, who has served as Assistant Secretary since January 2013. He will return to his position as Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which he has led since 2011.
Sources: Department of the Interior, E&E News
Updated 6/9/14
USGS nominee testifies before Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
On May 13, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Suzette Kimball to serve as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Dr. Kimball, who holds a doctorate in environmental sciences, previously worked for the National Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She has served as Acting Director of USGS since 2013.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed concern that USGS has lost sight of its core mission, noting that there has been a decrease in internal funding for programs that serve to detect and prevent natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) also signaled concern that USGS has not focused enough resources on landslide research. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) inquired about critical minerals research and the growing demand for rare earth elements and their use in civilian and defense technologies.
Dr. Kimball stressed the importance of USGS addressing issues related to improving methods of coping with natural disasters such as earthquake early warning, as well as examining the impacts of mining rare earth elements. Dr. Kimball also voiced support for comprehensive Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) surveys to aid in the understanding of landslides and to develop a map of landslide prone areas.
Dr. Kimball’s nomination still needs to pass the Committee before it is sent to the Senate floor for further consideration by the full Senate.
Source: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Updated 6/9/14
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee approves FIRST Act
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology approved the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act (H.R. 4186) by a party-line vote of 20-16 in a markup held on May 28. The FIRST Act reauthorizes federal funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
The FIRST Act would bring changes to the NSF funding process by having Congress set funding at the directorate level, whereas current legislation allows NSF to allocate funds among the directorates. The bill would cut the Geosciences Directorate budget by 3 percent and would cut the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate budget by 30 percent, while boosting funding for other directorates. The FIRST Act authorizes $127 million less for NSF than the fiscal year 2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4660) currently under consideration by the Senate. The bill would require scientists to prove each grant’s unique scientific merits and direct relevance to the broad national interest before funding is granted.
In the first part of the markup held on May 21, Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) stated that NSF should focus on areas that lead to technological innovation and job growth, such as physical science and engineering. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) opposed passage of the bill, voicing concern that it diminishes the ability of the scientific community and the country to advance science and innovation. An amendment offered by Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) that shortens the embargo period for open access to federally funded research from 24 months to 12 months was also approved by voice vote.
The bill will now be referred to the full House for further consideration.
Sources: American Association for the Advancement of Science, E&E Daily, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Updated 6/9/14
Keystone XL vote hits roadblock in Senate
A key vote on the Keystone XL pipeline stalled May 12 after the Senate reached an impasse on the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761), sponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH).
Senate leaders had hoped to reach an agreement whereby Democrats would allow a binding vote on Keystone XL in exchange for passage of the Shaheen-Portman energy bill.
Negotiation talks broke down when Senate leaders were unable to reach an agreement on the conditions of passage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) agreed to allow a vote on the measure in exchange for passage of the energy bill without any amendments. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would only agree to the offer under the condition that the final energy bill would include five Republican amendments, including a measure preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing new greenhouse-gas regulations on coal burning plants.
This action further stalls progress on the pipeline.
Sources: E&E News, The Washington Post