May 17—WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday hailed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's cooperation in developing new regulations under the Clean Water Act to facilitate offshore oil and gas operations.
"I'm proud to secure common sense regulations that are good for producers while protecting our natural resources," said Cruz, a Texas Republican who sits on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
"These discharge regulations are key to the Lone Star State's effort to unleashing America's all-of-the-above energy resources," he said. "The United States produces by far the cleanest energy in the world and finalizing these responsible rules is a big victory for Texans, American jobs and our allies abroad."
Cruz explained that new rules became necessary after the EPA's wastewater discharge regulations, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, expired last September.
"This meant that new oil and gas drilling, processing and decommissioning operations would not receive permits until the completion of new regulations, leading to what would have been an unprecedented, abrupt halt of new offshore energy production beginning in June 2023," Cruz told the Odessa American through a spokeswoman.
"I worked with EPA's Region 6, based in Dallas, to ensure that existing operations would continue through an administrative extension until new regulations were put into place.
"I worked with industry, EPA headquarters and the White House's Office of Management and Budget to expedite and finally approve these new regulations allowing for new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits with an effective date of May 11 and an expiration date of May 10, 2028."
Matt Giacona, vice president of government affairs at the National Ocean Industries Association, said the EPA's issuance of its NPDES general permit regulations in the Gulf of Mexico "is positive news that will ensure that American offshore energy projects continue moving forward.
"NOIA thanks the EPA for finalizing the general permit and commends the members of Congress who engaged for several months on this critical issue, particularly the leading efforts of Sen. Ted Cruz," Giacona said.
"The U.S. Gulf will continue to provide among the lowest carbon intensity barrels of oil in the world to help meet our nation's energy needs in an affordable, reliable and responsible manner."
The Dallas-based Kosmos Energy Deepwater Exploration and Production Co. issued a statement commending the various parties.