Elizabeth Ames Jones Resolution condemns fed action usurping RRC agency jurisdiction.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas During yesterdays Railroad Commission conference Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones led an effort serving notice to the federal government to cease & desist mandates beyond the scope of the federal government -- specifically the Texas Railroad Commission opposes all proposals from the present administration and Congress that may usurp the rights of the states to regulate and manage oil & natural gas exploration and production within their sovereign borders."
The resolution which passed unanimously specifically mentioned provisions in the recently passed as being opposed by the Railroad Commission of Texas:
- H.R. 5626 the Blow-out Prevention Act of 2010"
- H.R. 3534 the Consolidated Land Energy & Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act"
- S. 3663 the Clean Energy Jobs & Oil Company Accountability Act of 2010"
I appreciate Chairman Carrillo and Commissioner Williams for their willingness to join me in this fight on behalf of the oldest and most respected energy regulatory agency in the United States and on behalf of the statutory authority of the Texas Legislature from which we derive our jurisdiction" said Jones.
The resolution will be sent to the President of the United States of America the Vice President the majority leader of the U.S. Senate the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives the minority leader of the U.S. House of
Representatives the minority leader of the U.S. Senate and to the governor of each state.
Jones has been an outspoken critic of recent Washington actions since the BP blow-out took place.
She recently sent a letter of protest
to President Obama on June 8 2010 in reaction to the moratorium on deepwater drilling. She advised the Texas congressional delegation in a letter on July 28 2010 to vote against the Blowout Prevention Act which was rolled into the CLEAR Act.
The CLEAR Act includes federal oversight of all coastal waters seaward of the line of mean high tide as the boundary.
Said Jones Thanks to the foresight of our states early leaders the Republic of Texas entered into the Union in 1845 and retained jurisdiction out to 3 leagues offshore. That boundary was adjudicated in the Tidelands case in the 1940s and finally resolved by Congress in 1953.
As established in the U.S. Supreme Court case New York v. United States 112 S.Ct. 2408 (1992) the Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the States" Jones said.
Jones also noted that the exploration and production of state-owned minerals in state waters must be regulated by the Railroad Commission which has 100 years of experience in prudent management and stewardship of many of Texass natural resources.
For a full copy of the resolution please click here
8-10-10 Resolution.
Jones was elected to the Texas Legislature in 2000 and then
appointed to the Texas Railroad Commission in 2005 by Governor Perry. Her commentaries have been published in the Wall Street Journal the Washington Post and other major newspapers.
