Energy & Environmental Quality.

General Policies.

General Environmental Legislation and Regulations: Support environmental legislation and regulations that balance environmental concerns with economic realities and are workable, practical, equitable and consistent.

Consistent Enforcement: Support fair and consistent enforcement of Louisiana environmental laws and regulations, but oppose using unrelated measures, such as environmental justice actions and/or restricting the availability of tax exemption programs, as penalties for environmental violations.

Administration Liaison: Work closely with the administration to assure that regulatory agencies and legislative committees dealing with the environment understand the importance of fostering a climate conducive to economic development while protecting the environment through the use of sound science.

Management of Waste: Support legislation and regulations that allow business, industry and local governing authorities to take advantage of all environmentally sound waste management technologies, including but not limited to reuse, recycling and waste exchanges. LABI supports regulatory programs that encourage free enterprise and a competitive business climate, and opposes excessively complex regulations that discourage the beneficial use of sound technologies and by-products.

Water Policy: Support a fair, flexible, and scientifically based statewide water use policy that considers the needs of all water users. Monitor the development of state and federal water conservation programs to ensure that all water users – industrial, residential and commercial – are assured adequate access to usable water sources.

Landowner Rights: Support legislation requiring that governing bodies deal openly with landowners and adequately compensate property owners for loss of use or devaluation of their property caused by environmental regulations, laws or policy. Oppose regulations that prohibit any lawful use of, or condemnation of, private property unless based on adequately demonstrated public need.

Litter: Support and encourage all reasonable efforts to eliminate litter in Louisiana, including anti-litter public campaigns.

Refining Capacity: Encourage expansion of Louisiana’s oil refining capacity by removing any state-imposed barriers to construction of new or expanded refining facilities.

Oil and Gas Development:  Support legislation that offers incentives and a workable regulatory climate that stimulates oil and gas exploration and production in Louisiana. Support streamlining of exploration, production, and transportation permitting and a reduction of regulatory burdens. Support primacy of state regulation over the siting, zoning, permitting, regulation of hydraulic fracturing, and other aspects of oil and natural gas operations and exploration, including, but not limited to, primacy over the capturing and/or transportation of natural resource byproducts. Oppose legislation and/or regulations that would impose additional restrictions on mineral leasing, drilling permit acquisition, or other onerous requirements that act as a disincentive to exploration, production, and transportation of natural gas and oil, or the byproducts of same, unless and until valid, scientific studies document significant adverse impacts on the environment and risk assessments are attached. 

Liquefied Natural Gas: Support legislation and/or regulations that promote the development of LNG terminals both onshore and offshore Louisiana.

Fuel Mandates: Oppose legislation that mandates the use limits the of supply of any specific fuel.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: Support the development of a market-driven universal, statewide electric vehicle charging network that is strategically funded and will improve the quantity, quality and variety of electric vehicle charging amenities and business and consumer services available in the state.

Litigation

Government-sponsored Litigation: The onslaught of government-sponsored lawsuits creates a damaging precedent of regulation through litigation. Oppose efforts by governmental entities to use litigation to harass businesses when engaged in lawful activities. All civil law enforcement statutes are jeopardized when the state uses regulations to extort money rather than ensure compliance.

Lawsuit Climate: Support any appropriate modifications to existing laws concerning oil and gas legacy lawsuits, coastal lawsuits, and environmental lawsuits along with proposed changes to mineral lease obligations that bring fairness to industry and the public alike, and promote rather than quash, industry growth, employment, and long-term tax revenues without compromising reasonable protection of human health and the environment. Strongly defend any legislative advances made to existing law with respect to the same. 

Contingency Fees: Oppose legislation that would authorize state or local government to enter into contingency fee contracts or to employ outside counsel to be paid by the defendants or the state from the proceeds of awards and/or settlements. Support additional legislative oversight.

Subsequent Purchaser: Oppose legislation which creates a right of action to assert claims for environmental damages that were caused or sustained prior to acquisition by a purchaser of the property.

Liability: Oppose any expansion of punitive damages, criminal penalties or “bad actor” provisions in environmental law or regulations.

Abrogation of Contracts: Oppose legislation which would abrogate existing contracts between parties.

Taxation

Energy Taxation:  Oppose suspension of tax exemptions granted to producers and consumers of energy products and sources. Oppose increased or new taxes or fees on oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbons, such as: a processing, transportation, or refinery tax; a sales tax on business utilities; a change in the calculation of the natural gas or other energy franchise taxes which increase costs. An increased severance tax or suspension of severance tax exemptions; a sales tax on natural gas transportation, a coastal wetlands environmental levy, a “first use” tax; or a property tax on minerals in place or a reservoir tax. Lastly, a change in the industrial tax exemption program (ITEP), which reduces its benefit.

Definition of Energy Sources: Support legislation that clarifies the definition of “energy sources” to assure that all are excluded from state sales and use tax.

Local Energy Taxation: Oppose legislation that eliminates the constitutional ban on local taxation of all motor fuels.

Lease Use/Plant-Use Gas: Support legislation affirming the historical treatment of natural gas used at the lease and at gas processing plants as not being subject to sales or use taxes.

By-Products: Maintain the non-taxable status of by-products and intermediate materials.

Mineral Taxes: Support legislation and/or regulations that will establish the fair market value for oil, natural gas, and oil and natural gas equipment for taxation purposes.

Assessment Practices/Electric Utilities: Oppose redistribution of tax proceeds to parishes other than the parish where the electric utility plant is located.

Standards and Regulatory Barriers

Environmental Audits/DEQ: Support legislation to eliminate or reduce the number of conditions a company must meet to obtain protections for self-auditing, and make the policy clear, meaningful and useful to businesses conducting environmental self-audits.

Coal Combustion Residuals: Support efforts for LDEQ to adopt a coal combustion residual state permit program.

Green Building Standards: Oppose measures mandating standards that do not demonstrate measurable or proven energy savings or which detrimentally impact Louisiana industries.

LDH Chlorination Rules: Support efforts, including legislation, to establish reasonable, scientifically-based chlorination rules as mandated by LDH for industrial facilities, particularly as over-chlorination resulting from LDH’s current mandate level can create disinfectant byproducts, such as trihalomethanes.

Disposal Bans: Oppose legislation or regulations which prohibit landfill disposal of any waste stream and which does not include a comprehensive plan to ensure that the infrastructure and arrangements will be in place when the ban takes effect. Such plan shall ensure that the banned materials will, in fact, be recycled in a cost-efficient manner to the manufacturer, generator and the recycler of the waste stream.

Clean Air: Support efforts to make Louisiana’s air quality programs equivalent to and no more restrictive than the federal Clean Air Act. Support legislation and rules that equitably distribute the responsibility for meeting air quality requirements among all emission sources. Support DEQ efforts to promote federal acceptance of reasonable state air quality programs. Strongly encourage DEQ to promptly update the State Implementation Plan (SIP) to incorporate EPA’s favorable changes to federal rules, and support additional regulatory reform. Oppose efforts to mandate inappropriate, costly, and inconsistent monitoring programs, including fence line monitoring.

National Air Toxic Assessments: Support transparent and open NATA process and peer review of risk-based conclusions.

Oilfield Wastes: Oppose legislation that unilaterally reclassifies oilfield wastes as hazardous or any other inappropriate, unjustified classification. Encourage the development of scientifically appropriate, reasonable testing regulations that accurately demonstrate the non-hazardous nature of most oilfield wastes. Evaluate and support appropriate disposal and treatment options for exploration and production wastes for facilities regulated by DEQ and DNR.

Renewable Energy Standards: Oppose mandates that impose renewable fuels portfolio standards requiring electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of their power from renewable energy resources by a certain date.

Utilities

Fuel Diversity: Encourage fuel-use diversity, whenever economically feasible, in order to reduce Louisiana’s dependence on a single fuel for electricity generation.

Energy Market Competition: Support a fair and fully competitive retail electricity market that allows all consumers the right to choose their supplier of electricity. The move to competition should:

• Provide for the transition to competition for all consumers;

• Require the continued regulation of the transmission and distribution of electricity;

• Provide incentives that will encourage the expansion and upgrade of electricity transmission facilities;
• Promote reliability of electric service for all consumers;

• Require the equitable sharing of net verifiable stranded costs that cannot be mitigated;
• Protect consumers from unwarranted shifts in tax burdens; and

• Provide for the prompt amendment or repeal of statutory constraints to open access.

Gas Market Competition: Support a fair and fully competitive retail natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas market that allows all consumers the right to choose their supplier of natural gas.

Alternative Energy and Feedstock Development: Support legislation that promotes use of alternative energy sources but does not unduly favor one energy form over another.

Cost of Service: Oppose legislation that shifts the cost of electricity service from one class of consumer to another. Oppose legislation or regulations that force consumers to absorb the costs of providing service to customers of another utility company in another service territory. Oppose imposition of taxes or fees to subsidize energy assistance programs within the Public Service Commission.

Electricity Transmission: Encourage the Louisiana Public Service Commission to require that all repairs to the electricity transmission and distribution system, to the greatest extent possible, incorporate upgrades sufficient to meet federal goals of re-tooling the nation’s transmission system. Support legislation that would grant tax incentives for upgrading the state’s electric transmission and distribution grid. Promote improved transmission, evaluate cost-effective storm hardening, and seek access to lower-cost generation for all consumers.

Utility Exemption from Louisiana Monopoly Law: Support legislation to exempt from the provisions regulating monopolies the electric and gas utility companies which are subject to the jurisdiction of the LPSC, the City Council of the City of New Orleans, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or any other public utility regulatory body with ratemaking or other general regulatory authority over an electric or gas utility company.

Agency & Regulatory Management

Exclusive Jurisdiction of State Agencies: Support legislation to ensure that all interests within the state are treated equally with respect to matters of environmental permitting and regulation by promoting exclusive authority of state agencies to issue environmental permits and adopt and enforce environmental regulations, including the Coastal Management Program. Such legislation should expressly preclude the ability of political subdivisions to interfere with the authority of state agencies through adoption of local ordinances that go beyond traditional land use planning and zoning so as to hinder or frustrate the ability of state agencies to make decisions regarding environmental permitting and regulation.

Moratoria and Regulatory Programs: Oppose regulations and legislation that seek to impose moratoria or de facto moratoria on the exploration and/or production of natural resources, as well as the capturing and/or transportation of natural resource byproducts.   

Administrative Procedures: Ensure that the Division of Administrative Law be maintained. Further, require DEQ adherence to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to ensure due process, fairness and accuracy in the promulgation and implementation of regulations and policies. The APA should guide the conduct of administrative procedures relative to actions and decisions by the department.

Emergency Response: Support legislation to give the appropriate governmental entities principal jurisdiction over emergency response action. Support DEQ’s flexibility in assisting regulated facilities and generators to react and respond in the event of an emergency.

Consistency, Validity and Consolidation of Regulations: Encourage state and local agencies to streamline and simplify compliance with environmental programs by revising laws, regulations, standards, enforcement procedures, fees and penalties to be consistent with federal requirements. Consolidate, merge or eliminate duplicative or overlapping regulatory programs and reporting to reduce the costly regulatory burden on industry. Base regulations on valid science, rather than upon unsupportable allegations or claims. LABI supports DEQ’s efforts to coordinate federal and state environmental programs and recognizes DEQ’s primacy in federally delegated programs.

Disaster Recovery: Work with local, state and federal officials and regulatory agencies to remove obstacles to economic recovery in areas damaged by natural disasters.

Permits: Streamline the permitting process. Encourage the development and use of general permits for similar groups of facilities. Encourage DEQ to eliminate the backlog of pending permits and to issue permits timely.

• Support the expansion and continued implementation of DEQ’s regulatory permit program.
• Support legislation and/or regulation which minimizes uncertainty and provides clear guidance to DEQ and regulated entities relative to information, such as compliance with the “IT decision” (Save Ourselves, Inc. v Louisiana Environmental Control Commission, 452 So.2d 1152 (La. 1984)), which is required for issuance of permits and, upon compliance, ensures the issuance of permits.
• Oppose efforts, especially taxpayer-funded efforts to stop or inhibit economic development by those claiming to be fighting for environmental justice but who are opposed to any industrial growth.
• Support and encourage the timely granting of permits that are valid for the life of the facility, especially solid waste facilities.
• Oppose measures that would jeopardize the integrity of a permit during its term.
• Encourage informal dialogue between DEQ and the regulated community about permitting and enforcement matters. Allow permitees to review an early draft of their permit for accuracy and completeness. Encourage DEQ to accept submittal of permit applications and other information by electronic means (e-data submittal).

Small Business: Support efforts to minimize the regulatory burden on small business, and support and participate in activities to assist small business with environmental compliance.

Interagency Consistency: Encourage an ongoing dialogue among state agencies to ensure interagency regulatory consistency.

Consumer Advocacy: Oppose legislation that would establish new programs within new or existing agencies or departments that require public funding for representation or intervention in regulatory proceedings.

Oilfield Wastes: Support the current jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality and oppose changing the jurisdiction thereof to the Attorney General or to any other department or agency.

Fees & Funding

Agency Funding: Support adequate funding of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), through and including state general fund dollars, which reflect its regulatory mandate and the services rendered to governing authorities and the general populace. Stable, consistent funding, with strict guidelines for expenditures, outside contracts, grants and contributions must be implemented to maintain needed services and ensure accountability. 

Agency Fees: Support a streamlined DEQ fee structure that accurately reflects the cost of the service provided, does not exceed that cost, funds only the specific program for which the fees are collected, and with rates distributed fairly between industry and local governing authorities. LABI will support new or increased fees only if DEQ can justify the need for the additional revenue, assures the fees will be used only for the services for which they are intended, and provides evidence of increased efficiency measures. Work with DEQ to create a consolidated and itemized fee invoicing system.  

Special Funds: Legislatively Dedicated Self-Imposed Fees: Oppose raiding of legislatively dedicated funds that were created and funded by industry fees paid to accomplish specific regulatory purposes. 

Reporting

Reporting Requirements: Work with DEQ and the Louisiana State Police to provide an alternative means of communication or a temporary suspension of penalties for reporting violations when normal means of communication have been disrupted.

Environmental Compliance Records: Support accurate facility compliance records by encouraging clear, concise differentiation by DEQ between an issued and/or pending order and a resolved and recorded legal enforcement action. Encourage DEQ to include in the official compliance record only settled or resolved enforcement actions. Support and promote prompt resolution of problematic enforcement issues and encourage DEQ and the assistant secretary to address these issues within a reasonable period of time.

Emergency Reporting: Support efforts to implement statutes requiring DEQ and the Department of Public Safety to create a statewide uniform emergency reporting and notification system. Lists of reportable chemicals and quantities must be identical, with penalties prohibited for substances not on the DEQ list.

Access to Information: Support implementation of state law regarding freedom of information to assure it adequately serves the needs of the general public and the private sector, while protecting the confidentiality of sensitive information where appropriate. Support the implementation of Act 636 of 2004 that authorizes DEQ to restrict access to certain security sensitive information for the purpose of preventing its distribution or dissemination via the Internet.

Right-to-Know: Support making Louisiana’s Right-to-Know program consistent with the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA), Title III.

Pipelines

Intrastate and Interstate Pipelines: Participate actively with governmental entities and leaders to ensure the viability and integrity of the state’s intrastate pipeline systems and those interstate pipeline systems that operate and serve customers in Louisiana.

Assessment Practices/Pipelines: Support equitable assessment practices for pipelines classified as public service properties.

Expropriation: Support the existing Louisiana statutes and constitutional guarantees for the orderly expropriation of property and for the compensation for those properties expropriated for energy-related transmission or product transportation.

Storage

Storage of Hydrocarbons, CO₂, and Hydrogen: In an effort to stabilize market prices of natural gas and other hydrocarbons for all consumers, support legislation to encourage development of salt domes and other storage facilities in the state of Louisiana. Support reasonable regulations for the safe permitting and operation of solution mining wells and hydrocarbon storage. Additionally, support and encourage development of deep underground saline aquifers and reservoirs and related facilities for CO₂ and hydrogen storage. Support related legislation.

Injection Wells: Support the retention of the responsibility for injection wells related to oil and gas exploration and production, as well as the expansion of said responsibility for oil and gas byproducts, within the Department of Natural Resources.

Contacts.

Lauren Hadden serves as Director of the Energy & Environmental Quality Council. In this capacity, she handles energy and environmental regulation, energy taxation and liability-related matters.

Lauren Hadden

Director, Energy & Environmental Quality Council, LABI
(225) 928-5388
laurenh@labi.org

George Guidry

Chair, Energy & Environmental Quality Council
Koch Government Affairs, LLC
george.guidry@kochps.com

Ongoing Policy.

Moratoria, Federal Leasing, and Regulatory Programs: Oppose regulations and legislation which impose moratoria or de facto moratoria on oil and gas exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the capturing and/or transportation of oil and gas byproducts. Continue to support legislation that seeks to establish aggressive Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge leasing programs for oil and gas development. Bring attention to Department of Interior’s five-year leasing program and Louisiana’s need for expanding drilling areas in the Gulf of Mexico and lowering royalty rates to help boost Louisiana’s Economy. Revenues from such production should be shared with states that permit such activities. Oppose any efforts to restrict, pause, or delay leasing on federal and OCS lands. All potential reserves must be explored and added to the nation’s production, and a balanced program between environmental and economic concerns must be achieved, rather than withdrawing properties, or unnecessarily delaying lease sales, based on unwarranted environmental pressures.

Hydraulic Fracturing: Oppose federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing.

Energy Taxation: Support federal taxation policies that preserve domestic energy security by stimulating exploration and production. Such incentives assist energy-intensive industries, which often face high energy costs and foreign competition, as well as the energy-producing industry. Also, oppose additional gasoline and special fuels taxes as a source of revenues for non-highway purposes.

Pipeline Infrastructure: Support federal permitting of infrastructure projects that facilitate the transportation of resources to Louisiana consumers and other end-users.

U.S. Climate Change Policy: LABI specifically opposes any cap-and-trade legislation or the imposition of any carbon tax.

Clean Power Plan Rule – CCA 111(d): Oppose EPA’s Clean Power Plan Rule. Continue to work with DEQ to develop practical emissions standards that do not create a negative financial or regulatory impact to Louisiana’s businesses and energy consumers.

Revenue Sharing: Support efforts to assure a fair and equitable distribution of revenues from offshore oil and gas production.

Renewable Energy Standards: Oppose mandates which impose renewable fuels portfolio standards that require electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of their power from renewable energy resources by a certain date.

Refining Capacity: Fast track provisions of the Federal Energy Bill that will enable construction of additional oil refining capacity in Louisiana at the earliest date.

Fuel Mix/Reduce Dependence on a Single Fuel for Generation: Fast track provisions of the Federal Energy Bill that allow for expansion of nuclear electricity generating facilities in Louisiana, as well as development of additional clean-coal technology for generation in the state when economically feasible.

Electricity Transmission: Fast track provisions of the Federal Energy Bill which will upgrade the electric transmission and distribution grid which provides power to Louisiana; assure that the system will accommodate electricity loads from independent generators and other alternate sources of power.

National Energy Infrastructure Zone: To assure a reliable and affordable supply of electricity to all customers, encourage implementation of the provisions of law which allow the Secretary of Energy to restore the energy infrastructure system in the event that the system is compromised in an incident or event.

Royalty Valuation: Support improvements in the method by which the federal government values and collects oil and gas royalties from leases on federal property. Those improvements should be designed to create a more efficient system that adds fairness, certainty and simplicity to the royalty valuation process while preserving the lease terms agreed upon by the producer and the federal government.

Oilfield Wastes: Oppose legislation that unilaterally reclassifies oilfield wastes as hazardous or any other inappropriate classification. LABI supports the EPA’s current definition of hazardous wastes related to oil and gas exploration and production activities. 

Risk Assessment: Support legislation that will attach cost-to-risk assessments to the process by which rules are promulgated.

Wetlands: Support clear, consistent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implementation of wetlands regulations. Encourage the development of regulations and policies that exempt nonviable wetlands from regulation. Support the development of mitigation banking policies and regulations that maintain economic competitiveness in an impacted watershed. Support the timely issuance of permits. Oppose efforts to amend the Clean Water Act to remove “navigable” from the definition of jurisdictional waters of the United States. Additionally, oppose any regulatory efforts by the Department of the Interior that would impede or curtail oil and gas exploration and production in the wetlands.

Waters of the U.S. Rule: Support efforts to roll back the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expanded definition of “waters” and adjacent land areas under federal control, as it would needlessly make the routine operations of industrial facilities newly subject to permitting and lengthy environmental reviews.

Competition: Support a fair and fully competitive retail electricity market that allows all consumers the right to choose their supplier of electricity. Oppose regulations and legislation which would have the effect of retroactive ratemaking.

Natural Gas and Crude Oil: Support legislation to remove all governmental barriers to competitive pricing, accessibility and exporting to all onshore and offshore production, transportation and use of natural gas and crude oil.

Renewable Fuel Mandates: Support repeal of renewable fuel standard mandates.

Alternative Energy and Feedstock Development: Assist in the development of a program that will promote use of alternative energy sources but does not unduly favor one energy form over another.

Nuclear Fuel: Support legislation which would ensure the long-term viability of nuclear power for electricity generation, assure safe storage of spent nuclear fuel, and require safe transportation of nuclear products.

Current Issues.

General Environmental Legislation: Support federal environmental legislation that balances environmental concerns with economic realities and is workable, practical, equitable and consistent.

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Support legislation that will require cost-benefit assessments to be included in the process by which rules are promulgated.

Permits: Support and encourage the timely granting of permits that are valid for the life of the facility.

Toxic Substances Control Act: Support reforms to the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that protect the public health and the environment, and that support our nation’s ability to continue leading the world in developing the innovative new products that benefit us all while preserving the high-quality, high-paying American jobs that are created when American companies invent, manufacture and sell American products.

Emergency Resources: Petition Louisiana’s congressional delegation to provide sufficient resources to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the state to address environmental matters arising from hurricanes, natural disasters and any other state emergency.

Emergency Regulatory Flexibility: Support and encourage DEQ’s and EPA’s flexibility in assisting regulated facilities and generators to react and respond in the event of an emergency.

Ozone Transport and Attainment: Oppose interstate ozone transport strategies that cannot be supported by a scientifically valid cause-and-effect relationship. Encourage the EPA to complete re-designation of all the parishes that are meeting and will continue to meet the air quality standard for ozone.

NAAQS Attainment: Support efforts to prevent tightening of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and allow for extensions of the attainment year for non-attainment areas. Encourage EPA to issue guidance regarding baseline year emissions to allow credit for emission reductions, averaging of emissions from years other than the non-attainment year, and exemptions. Support the retention of the current scientifically based standard that has been accepted by EPA as being protective of human health and the environment.

Climate Change Treaties: Oppose Senate ratification and presidential approval of any national or international legislative proposal or treaty on climate change, unless developing countries are included in its requirements, which must be based on valid, peer-reviewed science, and the U.S. is not disproportionately affected by mandated greenhouse gas emissions reductions or other provisions.

EPA Overfiling: Oppose the EPA’s filing of separate enforcement actions after an agreement has been reached between the state and a regulated entity under a federally delegated program. The regulated community should be able to achieve finality when it resolves an environmental dispute with DEQ (or any other state agency) in a program that has been “delegated” to the state of Louisiana by the EPA. LABI will work to eliminate EPA “overfiling,” as this practice places the regulated community in a double-jeopardy type situation.

Economic Development: Oppose efforts, especially taxpayer-funded efforts, to stop or inhibit economic development by those claiming to be fighting for environmental justice but who are opposed to any industrial growth.

Rule Flexibility: Support legislation and regulations that provide for regulatory flexibility in return for improved environmental performance.

Clean Air Regulations: Support implementation of Clean Air Act regulations that are reasonable, cost-effective and workable. Support efforts to prevent tightening of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Support additional reforms to the New Source Review (NSR) rules by EPA. Oppose revisions of “Maximum Achievable Control Technology” (MACT) standards which are not based on sound science and technically feasible standards. Oppose setting New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) that are not based upon clearly demonstrated technology.

Superfund: Support comprehensive reforms to the existing Superfund program by prioritizing and speeding up cleanup, repealing retroactive liability, setting reasonable cleanup standards based on sound science, and opposing the imposition of new taxes.

Landowner Rights: Support legislation to require the governing body to deal openly with the landowner and to adequately compensate property owners for loss of use or devaluation of their property caused by environmental regulations, laws or policy. Oppose the regulation of any use or condemnation of private property unless based on adequately demonstrated public need.

Environmental Audits/EPA: Encourage the EPA to amend its policy on self-policing to make the “protections” legally binding; eliminate or reduce the number of conditions a company must meet to obtain these protections; and make the Policy clear, meaningful and useful to businesses conducting environmental self-audits.

Waste Bans: Support resolution at the federal level of interstate waste shipment and disposal issues.

Contacts.

Lauren Hadden serves as Director of the Energy & Environmental Quality Council. In this capacity, she handles energy and environmental regulation, energy taxation and liability-related matters.

Lauren Hadden

Director, Energy & Environmental Quality Council, LABI
(225) 928-5388
laurenh@labi.org

George Guidry

Chair, Energy & Environmental Quality Council
Koch Government Affairs, LLC
george.guidry@kochps.com