Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas recently joined his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives in voting for passage of H.R. 2021, a bill that ensures the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System remains operable. The bill provides a major step forward in ensuring more jobs and energy independence in America by eliminating needless permitting delays from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“It is time we put a stop to the overreaching authorities the EPA puts on our domestic energy exploration,” said Lucas. “This bill amends the Clean Air Act to ensure that air quality standards that are imposed onshore are not forced on offshore outer-continental shelf operations. Alaska is estimated to contain 27 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Taking advantage of these tremendous energy supplies in the U.S. will boost the economy by creating thousands of new jobs within our country. Drilling in the outer-continental shelf will not only decrease the cost Americans pay for energy, it will also help us break our dangerous reliance on foreign oil.”

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