{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcclellan.house.gov/media/press-releases/mcclellan-casten-durbin-introduce-legislation-mitigate-negative-impacts", "McClellan, Casten, Durbin Introduce Legislation to Mitigate Negative Impacts of Natural Gas Pipelines", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Jennifer L. McClellan", "M001227", "mcclellan.house.gov", "mcclellan", "https://mcclellan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and Sean Casten (IL-06) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025, legislation to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to assess and mitigate the impacts that natural gas pipelines approved by FERC under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) will have on climate change and Environmental Justice communities.\n\n\u201cAs we work to meet our growing energy demands with new technologies, we must consider the long-term impacts of those projects on surrounding communities and our environment,\u201d said Congresswoman McClellan. \u201cToo often, natural gas pipelines jeopardize the health and well-being of vulnerable communities, especially low-income communities and communities of color. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act implements common-sense requirements to ensure FERC identifies and considers the wide-ranging potential impacts of these projects. This bill represents another important step in our efforts to improve energy affordability and advance environmental justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, we have placed the interests of energy producers above all else in setting our energy policy, including when deciding whether to permit a new natural gas pipeline,\u201d said Congressman Sean Casten. \u201cIt\u2019s past time we put the national interest first. I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation that would require FERC to consider the potential impacts on climate change, Environmental Justice communities, energy affordability, and reliability before approving a new natural gas pipeline.\u201d\n\n\u201cAcross the country, we are seeing rising temperatures and more frequent natural disasters\u2014a clear sign that we are facing a serious climate crisis. If we hope to mitigate this crisis and protect our most vulnerable communities, we must evaluate the climate impacts of new natural gas pipelines before we build them,\u201d saidSenator Durbin. \u201cEnacting the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act will protect the communities most impacted by climate change and climate pollution while ensuring access to safe and affordable energy.\u201d\n\nIn 2022, FERC, under then-Chairman Richard Glick, issued a draft Policy Statement to clarify how the Commission would take into account a natural gas pipeline\u2019s impacts on climate change and Environmental Justice communities. The draft statement was terminated earlier this year. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act is intended to codify the kind of analysis called for under the draft policy statement.\n\nIn particular, the legislation would amend the NGA to require FERC to determine, among other things, whether a proposed pipeline\u2019s impacts on climate change and Environmental Justice communities are significant, if the impacts can be mitigated, and whether the proposed pipeline would ensure energy reliability and affordability. The bill further establishes what FERC should consider when making these determinations.\n\nFor a full summary of the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act, click HERE.\n\nText of the legislation can be found HERE.\n\n\u201cThe Natural Gas Act requires FERC to consider whether a proposed interstate pipeline is both needed and in the public interest,\u201d said Richard Glick, former Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. \u201cIt is essential that, when determining whether the public interest requires that the pipeline be permitted, FERC consider all potential benefits and adverse impacts. The Commission has not always fully considered these impacts in its decision making process. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act would ensure full examination of a proposed pipeline\u2019s impact on climate change and on the communities that may not have the resources necessary to ensure their voices are heard in permitting proceedings. I commend Congressman Casten for his leadership in calling attention to this important matter.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation is a critical step forward in ensuring that FERC fully accounts for and addresses greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts of energy projects under the Natural Gas Act,\u201d said Anastasia Gordan, Federal Policy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. \u201cThe Biden Administration\u2019s LNG study gave us a clear picture of the harms these projects impose on public health, on our climate, and on family budgets, and the courts have repeatedly called on the Commission to do the same. For decades, fossil fuel infrastructure has disproportionately burdened frontline communities, and clarifying FERC\u2019s authority is essential to protecting all people, especially those who have borne the brunt of pollution and disinvestment. We applaud this effort to put equity, accountability, and climate responsibility at the center of energy decision-making.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must consider greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts in its decisions around energy projects,\u201d Mahyar Sorour, Sierra Club\u2019s Director for Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy, said. \u201cYet, FERC has consistently shirked its duty to assess the holistic, long-term impacts of these projects, including methane gas pipelines. This bill will make it crystal clear that FERC must take potential climate and community harms into account when making critical decisions about the nation\u2019s energy future. Sierra Club is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Casten and McClellan on this issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act is an important step towards enhancing the ability of FERC to reduce the impacts of climate change and pollution,\u201d said Byron Gudiel, Executive Director at Center for Earth Energy & Democracy (CEED). \u201cWe support this effort in ensuring that no community bears a disproportionate share of the adverse environmental and public health consequences from the build-out of fossil fuel infrastructure.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcclellan.house.gov/media/press-releases/mcclellan-casten-durbin-introduce-legislation-mitigate-negative-impacts"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.249009907245636, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}