Army Corps Expediting Reviews of Energy Projects
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mississippi Valley Division recently announced a new permitting policy for energy-related permits subject to President Trump’s “energy emergency” executive order. The order directed the Army Corps to identify potential or planned actions “to facilitate the nation’s energy supply.” In terms of Louisiana, the policy states that companies what apply for expedited permits to fill wetlands would have to explain “why the proposed actions are necessary to control the immediate impacts of the emergency.” Although this new policy applies to the state of Louisiana, the Corps headquarters in Washington has provided all regional offices with guidance to establish similar policies and procedures.
Outside of Louisiana, the Army Corps has expedited permits for multiple other energy infrastructure projects. Most recently, the Corps published a notice that it will fast-track the permitting process for the Line 5 Tunnel in Michigan. The project runs through the Straits of Mackinac, and expediting the tunnel’s permitting process would help ensure the continued flow of energy to Michigan.
The Army Corps should also turn its attention to the Dakota Access Pipeline and expedite its current reviews. The pipeline has been safely operating since 2017, transporting vital oil from the Bakken region to market. In September of 2023, the Army Corps released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), but did not make a recommendation on the Lake Oahe easement. The draft EIS did, however, say that a major spill under the Missouri River is remote to unlikely. Given the prolonged nature of the reviews of DAPL, its vital role in supplying the U.S. with much needed fuels, and the draft EIS, the Army Corps should expedite its current review of the pipeline and unleash American energy dominance.