By Tennille Tracy, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Feb 18, 2011
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure that helps clear a path for Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA, RDSA.LN) to drill an exploratory well in the Arctic Ocean.
With most of the favorable votes coming from Republicans, the measure blocks the Environmental Protection Agency’s appeals board from revoking any permits for projects along Alaska’s Arctic Coast.
The goal of the measure, introduced by Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, is to prevent this appeals board from revoking a clean-air permit Shell is seeking in its effort to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort Sea.
The measure was added as an amendment to the spending bill the House is developing to finance government operations through the rest of fiscal year 2011.
“I think the Shell permit highlighted the need to remove another layer of bureaucracy,” a spokeswoman for Young said.
-By Tennille Tracy, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6619; tennille.tracy@ dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-18-111448ET
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