Dear Colleague letters in support of H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act Below are two Dear Colleague letters that were distributed in support of H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act. _________________________________________ Support the production of U.S. Fuel from U.S. Coal VOTE YES ON H.R. 5254 Dear Colleague: We write to urge your support for H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act, scheduled to be on the House floor TODAY. This bill would allow the same coordinating and streamlining of the permitting process for the construction of a Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) refinery as it would for the increasingly important expansion or construction of a new crude oil refinery. The United States currently depends on foreign sources for 60 percent of its domestic oil requirements, including crude oil and refined products. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), that dependence will grow to 70 percent by 2025. Production of coal-derived liquid fuels would expand potential uses of America’s nearly 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves and help to reduce our reliance on foreign sources of oil, while promoting national security and providing for sustained economic growth. In addition to lessening our dependence on foreign oil, these fuels offer a low particulate, low mercury and almost zero sulfur emissions profile; that can be used in everyday cars, trucks and buses. The Department of Defense, recognizing the need for safe, domestic based alternatives to oil is actively exploring the potential of coal-to-liquid fuels as a means of guaranteeing supply, minimizing price increases, and reducing the number of different fuels necessary for America’s range of defense applications. We should follow the lead of the Department of Defense. We urge you to support H.R. 5254 and give the United States a chance to look ahead in the production of fuels that will make us a secure, energy independent Nation. Sincerely, John Shimkus Member of Congress Charles “Chip” Pickering Member of Congress John Sullivan Member of Congress John Shadegg Member of Congress _________________________________________ 5 Years, 4 Months of Review for One Permit! Support H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act June 7, 2006 Dear Colleague: Today, you will have the opportunity to vote on H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act. We hope you will join us in supporting this common sense legislation, which will restore accountability and improve the efficiency of federal refinery reviews. No new refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. While total refinery capacity has continued to increase because of facility expansions, the number of facilities has been cut in half, dropping from 324 in 1981 to 148 today. Relying on ever-larger existing refineries – without constructing new ones – may add up on paper, but as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita taught us, such calculations do not provide flexibility in times of disruption. We need new refineries in new locations if we are to weather such storms in the future. Opponents of this legislation claim that the current process for reviewing refinery permits works, citing approval of a federal air quality permit for a refinery proposed for Yuma, Arizona. What they fail to mention is that the refinery – the only proposed new refinery in the nation – received its permit only after 5 years and 4 months of review by federal and state regulators. Such lengthy delays significantly impede investment in grassroots refineries, leaving America vulnerable to severe price spikes and supply disruptions. The experience of the Yuma refinery is not an example of what is right with the current regulatory process for new refineries. It’s an example of everything that is wrong. Investors and businesses interested in building new refineries face lengthy, uncertain reviews that can easily be overtaken by new regulations or other events while waiting for approval. The Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act will bring more certainty to the process by requiring federal agencies to sit down and set a reasonable schedule for reviewing permits. We hope you find this information useful, and we encourage you to vote YES on H.R. 5254 today. Sincerely, John Shadegg Member of Congress John Sullivan Member of Congress Marsha Blackburn Member of Congress Devin Nunes Member of Congress Chip Pickering Member of Congress ####