Rick Perry suggests using 'national security' to override opposition to pipelines
Energy secretary comes from a state very protective of its sovereignty.
MARK HAND MAY 9, 2018, 1:50 PM
With states standing in the way of new natural gas pipelines, Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Wednesday suggested elevating the role of national security when regulators consider whether to approve pipeline project applications.
Testifying on Capitol Hill, Perry expressed frustration with the failure of pipelines to get built due to opposition from state officials. Perry — Texas’ longest-serving governor — questioned the power that states hold over the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines. “Do states have the right to block a pipeline across their state that will have a national security implication or an economic implication on individuals?” Perry asked.
Perry told members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, that he believes a fight is brewing over “a state’s sovereign ability to make a decision versus the national security of this country.”
New York regulators, in particular, have most recently been taking a closer look at the environmental impact of natural gas pipelines that would travel through their state. Most states, in contrast, offer lax oversight of pipeline construction.
https://thinkprogress.org/perry-cites-national-security-in-defense-of-pipelines-446a7fcf088b/
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