U.S. Hispanic Business Council Opposes United States Army Corps of Engineers' Re-Review of Nationwide Permit 12
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WASHINGTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) issued the following statement regarding comments filed by the USHBC and other business groups in opposition to the United States Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) notice that it would be reviewing and considering wholesale changes to Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP-12). NWP-12 is a permit issued by the Corps that provides streamlined approval for minor oil and gas pipeline projects that have been determined not to pose significant environmental impacts. The Corps reviewed and re-issued the permit in January 2021.
Energy issues are crucial to the USHBC's mission in three main respects. First, the energy sector is a crucial source of direct and indirect employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Hispanic-Americans.
Right now, there are approximately 30,000,000 employed Hispanics making up 19% of the total 157,000,000 Americans in the workforce. And of the 30,000,000 employed Hispanics, 8,797,393 (30%) are employed in the energy sector and/or a set of directly impacted industries including: Oil, Gas and Other Energies, Agriculture, Construction, Manufacturing and Transportation. Second, higher energy prices operate as an "invisible tax" on all businesses – but they bite particularly hard on small businesses and new business owners. Every dollar spent on fuel, and every dollar lost to higher delivery prices, is a dollar that can't be invested in our businesses, hiring more people, raising wages for existing employees, or expanding our operations. And third, skyrocketing prices at the pump are the most regressive form of inflation imaginable. Upper-income Americans won't feel much pain; those who are just starting to build their own American dream will.
"It is incomprehensible that the United States Army Corps of Engineers would choose this time to initiate a discretionary re-review of Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP 12). NWP 12 is a crucial tool that allows for expedited approval of minor oil and gas pipeline activities that the Corps has determined will have no, or minimal, environmental impacts. It's important to remember that the Clean Water Act expressly allows the Corps to take this approach, and that federal courts have repeatedly upheld it, and just last year the Corps completed the required five-year review and reissued the permit with a careful consideration of environmental and other factors as required by federal law," said Javier Palomarez, President & CEO of USHBC. "This sort of capricious rule making threatens the very livelihood of hard working Americans, because it kills jobs in critical industries."
"Our nation needs an abundant, reliable, and affordable supply of all forms of energy. Especially in this moment of crisis, with Russia using its own energy resources to blackmail and bully our European allies. We support President Biden's commitment to help Ukraine and our allies push back against Russia. To do so, they will need help to replace Russia's energy with cleaner gas and other fuel from the United States and other responsible players. To give them that help, we must maintain a robust American energy infrastructure," said Don Salazar, USHBC Chairman of the Board.
"The Corps has arbitrarily decided to reopen the permit for further review, years before the 2026 deadline. This calls into doubt the Corps' commitment to the permit, and this will deter needed energy infrastructure investment, slow important projects, and render us less able to achieve energy security at home and abroad. The Corps should commit to leaving the permit in place until 2026, and focus on its mission of protecting our nation's waters while allowing for responsible infrastructure development," said Palomarez.
About the United States Hispanic Business Council
The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) is a voice for the Hispanic business community. A 501(c)6 non-profit organization, the USHBC focuses on improving access to contracting in the public and private sector, fair representation of Hispanics in business, media, and politics and ensuring Hispanics have a voice in the national dialogue.