(WRIC) — Attorney General Jason Miyares joined 24 other state attorneys general in signing a letter addressed to the Biden Administration, criticizing a proposed climate and safety rule in light of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The letter was drafted by the Louisiana Attorney General, Jeff Landry’s Office, and was addressed to Acting Administrator, Tristan Brown.
The letter comes in response to a decision made by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) decision to suspend the transportation of liquid natural gas by rail tank cars.
PHMSA originally published the proposed rule on Nov. 8, 2021, citing a number of concerns including, “potential public safety and environmental impacts (including significant environmental risks such as indirect greenhouse gas emission contributions to climate change).”
The letter from Landry’s Office disputes these statements, claiming that “the general concern that transporting liquid natural gas by rail might result in an increase in production of natural gas which could result in an increase in greenhouse gases is an attenuated and speculative concern untethered to the scope of PHMSA’s regulatory purpose.”
Of particular concern to the attorneys general is the strain that the Ukraine-Russia conflict is putting on domestic gas prices. The letter emphasizes the “need for the United States to maintain its energy independence through multiple distribution points throughout our country.”
The sentiment is similar to a recent push by Europe to shift away from and reduce reliance on international oil imports.
The letter comes at a time when much of Biden’s climate-focused agenda is pivoting in an attempt to keep energy prices at a reasonable level. For the time being, the U.S. and other allied sanctions against Russia have exempted transactions relating to oil and gas.
