SECOND REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 49

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

5724L.01I

            Whereas, Hurricane Katrina exposed the weakness of concentrated petroleum refining capacity in common risk-prone areas, such as the Gulf Coast, and the value of locating refineries in more inland areas; and

            Whereas, in an industry which operates in global markets, United States refiners are unable to meet the growth in demand for refined petroleum products in the United States and gaps in supply are filled by imports; and

            Whereas, as global economies expand, there will be increased competition for imports. Based on publicly available data, nearly 1.5 million barrels per day of additional refining capacity projects are planned or under consideration for the 2005-2011 time period; and

            Whereas, while domestic expansion of our petroleum refining capacity is vital, existing infrastructure for both crude oil and refined product distribution imposes economic limitations on where new refineries could be located; and

            Whereas, policies are needed to create a climate conducive to investments to expand domestic refining capacity, such as reform of the New Source Review (NSR) permitting program to streamline the permit process and alignment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) ozone deadlines; and

            Whereas, due to the location of both four domestic and one Canadian crude oil pipelines, as well as three pipelines that traverse the State of Missouri, Missouri has many advantages for the placement of petroleum refining facilities; and

            Whereas, Missouri's close proximity to mature oil industry states such as Oklahoma and Kansas provide optimum access to suppliers and services; and

            Whereas, with ample rural and low population areas, Missouri provides geographic buffering while still being located closely to population centers that allow for a sufficient workforce as well as cultural options:

            Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-third General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, stand ready to work with the petroleum industry associations and petroleum refiners for the purpose of generating jobs, strengthening the economy, increasing the capacity for domestic refining, and reducing America's dependence on refined petroleum products; and

            Be it further resolved that the Missouri General Assembly encourages all local, state, and federal regulatory bodies to streamline all permitting and other administrative processes applicable to the placement and operation of petroleum refining capacity, aligned infrastructures, and businesses; and

            Be it further resolved that the Missouri General Assembly is ready to facilitate all reasonable approaches to addressing any concerns regarding logistics, demographics, transportation, and infrastructure; and

            Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Samuel W. Bodman, the Secretary of the United States Department of Energy, Doyle Childers, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Fred Ferrell, the Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association.