ASSURANCE RULEMAKING
AEMA to Participate in Rulemaking Panel in an Attempt to Bring Transparency and Fairness to Process
The American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA) will participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel as a Small Entity Representative (SER). The panel is set to convene a four-hour meeting August 31st and will focus on the Agency’s development of the CERLCA 108(b) rule that will duplicate, overlap and pre-empt federal land management agency and state financial assurance requirements that have been in effect for 25 years.
Notably, EPA has taken three months to provide the SERs some, but not all of the vital information on the proposed rule’s modeling, information sources and process despite repeated requests since June 6, 2016. Such information is essential to understand a rule that could have devastating effects on the small businesses represented.
“AEMA entered into this process in good faith, focused on providing an honest voice for small business. Unfortunately, EPA has failed to match us on that commitment to transparency, providing only a small portion of the requested information at the 11th hour, leaving SERs only two business days to review the limited information provided,” said Laura Skaer, AEMA Executive Director. “This proposed rule is simply too important and potentially fatal to small business to not give the rule thorough, thoughtful and critical examination.”
The panel includes federal representatives from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA. The panel members ask a selected group of SERs to provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company or organization to inform the panel members about the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities. After meeting, the SBAR Panel will prepare a Panel Report with recommendations for EPA to incorporate in a proposed rule. It remains unclear whether EPA will incorporate the full SBAR comments prior to sending the rule to OMB.
###
American Exploration & Mining Association is a 121-year old, national association representing the minerals industry with more than 2,000 members across the U.S., Canada, and 10 other nations. AEMA is the recognized national voice for exploration and access to public lands.
Good morning! We've got a humorous tip for you this morning from Campus Reform.
You've doubtlessly heard about the flap over San Francisco 49ers quarter Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the national anthem as a protest against racism. We sent our contributor Cabot Phillips to the University of Maryland to ask students how they felt about the QB's stance.
Students were enthusiastic, if vague in their support for the QB, with one student declaring that “what he did was great...it’s sending a message,” and another arguing that the QB's actions were “pretty heroic,” said another.
When asked if they could recite the lyrics to the national anthem, however, most students seemed flabbergasted.
“I know the tune, I just don’t know the words…” said one student, while another admitted outright, “Yeah, no… I don’t know it.”
Only two students Campus Reform spoke to were able to successfully recite the lyrics. Others guessed that the lyrics included lines about "the dawn's early lie," and "as the flag was still...gleaming?"
If you'd like to see the whole thing, you can find the story here, and the video here.
