Tsongas Statement on Natural Gas Pipelines During Natural Resources Hearing

Press Release

Today, the full House Natural Resources Committee debated several bills and their related amendments, including H.R. 2295, the National Energy Security Corridors Act.

H.R. 2295 seeks to loosen restrictions which could cause irreparable damage to our national parks and federal lands.

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA) expressed concerns about H.R. 2295. Rep. Tsongas spoke in strong support of an amendment to the bill put forward by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), which would help safeguard the public's ability to review and provide input on pipeline projects.

Tsongas referenced a natural gas pipeline project currently being proposed in Massachusetts that cuts through parts of the Third District, and she spoke about the important public input process that has already helped minimize some of the environmental impacts of that pipeline route. She advocated that similar public input and robust review processes be included in other natural gas pipeline projects elsewhere in the country, especially when pipeline projects would impact protected lands.

Tsongas urged her colleagues to support the Beyer Amendment to H.R. 2295, saying "the underlying bill could directly erode the National Park Service's ability to meet its core mission of preserving and protecting our nation's natural, cultural, and historic resources, unimpaired, for the use and enjoyment of future generations."

Rep. Tsongas is the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee, which is responsible for all matters related to the National Park System, U.S. Forests, public lands and national monuments.

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