** Arctic, offshore drilling bans find support in Congress
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Thursday, September 12, 2019
Offshore oil drilling, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement ([link removed])

The House is considering three bills this week that would ban drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. On Wednesday, the House approved two of the bills ([link removed]) , banning offshore drilling on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the Gulf of Florida. Both passed with some Republican support, particularly from representatives from coastal states whose tourism industries and coastal communities could be threatened ([link removed]) by the Trump administration's increased offshore energy development. "If you're looking for bipartisan cooperation in Congress, these offshore drilling bills are a good example," said ([link removed]) Alexandra Adams, legislative director for the NRDC's Nature
program.

The third bill, which is expected to come up for a vote today, would ban drilling ([link removed]) in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was opened up to drilling in a provision in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and this legislation seeks to repeal that provision from the law to protect one of the most wild and biologically diverse places in the U.S.

Despite bipartisan support, the bills are not expected to succeed in the Senate but are meant to demonstrate ([link removed]) that the majority of representatives oppose the Trump administration's rollback of environmental regulations on oil and gas and prioritize the protection of their communities and environment.
Quick hits


** Interior to halt House oversight trips amid complaints over staff behavior
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NBC ([link removed])


** Three bills in Congress would block offshore, Arctic drilling
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The Hill ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | Roll Call ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])


** Trump administration finalizes repeal of clean water rule
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Grijalva mulls subpoena for BLM relocation documents
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Fish and Wildlife Service nominee under scrutiny
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The Guardian ([link removed])


** Denver reservoir controversy offers a glimpse into water woes in the West
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Mining waste contaminants suspected in Montana fish kill
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Opinion: Trump wants to spoil Alaska's pristine environment, but we can't let it happen
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Washington Post ([link removed])
Quote of the day
We're striking back this week against the Trump administration and their agenda to drill everywhere, every time, with no exception.”
—Chairman Raúl Grijalva, The Hill ([link removed])
Picture this


** @USFWSRefuges ([link removed])
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Fall brings a stir to national wildlife refuges. As daylight lessens, birds and butterflies start long flights south (massing at many refuges along the way) and bull elk compete for mates. Visit some migration hot spots here: [link removed] ([link removed])

:Tom Koerner/
@USFWS ([link removed])

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