ISSUE BRIEF: Putting Common Sense in the FLAG Guidelines
Federal land managers are out of control, FLAG needs reform!
The Issue:
Some federal land managers at the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are working to prevent the West from building next-generation power plants that are considerably cleaner than existing plants. Even though these new power plants will help improve our environment and help keep energy costs lower for consumers, these federal bureaucrats are using a new tool to block their development.
This tool is something called FLAG. FLAG stands for the "Federal Land Managers’ Air Quality Related Values Workgroup Guidelines." These air quality guidelines were neither considered by Congress nor were approved as part of a federal rulemaking. Yet, they give unelected federal land managers extraordinary new power to delay and effectively block the issuance of States permits for construction of new and cleaner power plants.
To see a detailed backgrounder on this issue prepared by the Western Business Roundtable, go here: http://www.westernroundtable.com/air/flag_backgrounder_2005.pdf
Impacts on the West:
The FLAG guidelines are being used to stop a number of next-generation power plants from coming on line and to block environmentally responsible oil and gas development.
Status of the Issue:
The FLAG guidelines were developed during the Clinton Administration and finalized in early 2001. They are internal policies that were adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. They can be withdrawn or amended administratively by those federal agencies.
Solutions:
- The Administration, Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior should take action to amend or withdraw the FLAG guidelines.
- If the Administration fails to solve this problem administratively, Congress should pass legislation forcing them to do so.
- Take 60 seconds to tell the administration to solve this problem and rein in out-of-control federal land managers!
Take Action on this Issue