Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Wilson Pushes For New Refineries and Lower Gas Prices |
June 19, 2008 |
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Signs discharge petition to force vote on building new refineries
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-NM) today signed a discharge petition for H.R. 2279, legislation that will expedite the construction of new oil refineries on closed military installations in the United States. If the petition obtains the signatures of a majority of members, it is immediately brought to the floor.
This bill requires the President to designate at least three closed military bases as potential locations for new oil, biomass, or coal-to-liquid refineries. A new refinery has not been built in the United States in thirty years, and disruptions in refining capacity can lead to a temporary spike in gas prices.
Wilson introduced a similar bill last month – the Refinery Permit Process Scheduling Act. That bill works to eliminate delays in obtaining a permit and construction of new refineries while preserving and abiding by environmental laws. H.R. 2279, which Wilson signed the discharge petition for today, also streamlines the permit process and eliminates delays in construction.
“We need to increase the supply of American-made energy to lower gas prices. That means opening up the outer continental shelf and Alaska as well as producing nuclear, biomass and clean coal,” Wilson said.
“One piece of the puzzle is building more refineries. We must streamline the regulatory process for refineries to obtain new permits and encourage the construction of new refineries,” Wilson said. “A new refinery hasn’t been built in nearly thirty years. We are now importing 10% of our refined gasoline and that number is growing.”
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