Document rebNRE82rgMBzbyDYD8jRr8wJ

To: Devito, Vincent[vincent_devito@ios.doi.gov] Cc: Landon Davis[ldavis@osmre.gov]; Newell, RusseN[njssell_newell@ios.doLgov] From: Nachmany, Eli Sent: 2017-10-30T17:39:09-04:00 Importance: Normal Subject: Re: FIRST DRAFT: Speech for 10/30 IMCC Received: 2017-10-30T17:39:16-04:00 So glad to hear it! The point of contact was very helpful -- teed up a lot of the issues important to the group that were included in the remarks. Sincerely, Eli Nachmany Writer, U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Communications On Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 12:23 PM, Devito, Vincent <vincent devito@ios.doi.gov> wrote: This was terrific! Thanks! On Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 7:49 PM, Nachmany, Eli <eli nachmany@ios.doi.gov> wrote: Hey Vincent, I wanted to get this done before the weekend so you could review. Attached is my first crack at remarks for IMCC. After calling them, I realized [ I. I defer to Russ for edits. Russ: the speech is to a group of state-level mining folks. I discuss NEPA, coal moratorium, Stream Protection Rule, Energy Burdens Report. Best of luck for Monday! Sincerely, Eli Nachmany Writer, U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Communications Vincent DeVito, Esq. Counselor to the Secretary of Interior for Energy Policy Immediate Office of the Secretary +1.202.208.2884 vincent devito@ios.doi.gov To: Nachmany, Eli[eli_nachmany@ios.doi.gov] Cc: Landon Davis[ldavis@osmre.gov]; Newell, RusseN[njsseN_neweN@ios.doLgov] From: Devito, Vincent Sent: 2017-10-30T12:23:44-04:00 Importance: Normal Subject: Re: FIRST DRAFT: Speech for 10/30 IMCC Received: 2017-10-30T12:24:11-04:00 This was terrific! Thanks! On Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 7:49 PM, Nachmany, Eli <eli nachmany@ios.doi.gov> wrote: Hey Vincent, I wanted to get this done before the weekend so you could review. Attached is my first crack at remarks for IMCC. After calling them, I realized [ I. I defer to Russ for edits. Russ: the speech is to a group of state-level mining folks. I discuss NEPA, coal moratorium, Stream Protection Rule, Energy Burdens Report. Best of luck for Monday! Sincerely, Eli Nachmany Writer, U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Communications Vincent DeVito, Esq. Counselor to the Secretary of Interior for Energy Policy Immediate Office of the Secretary +1.202.208.2884 vincent devito@ios.doi.gov To: Nachmany, Eli[eli_nachmany@ios.doi.gov] Cc: Landon Davis[ldavis@osmre.gov]; Newell, Russell[russell_newell@ios.doi.gov] From: Vincent Devito Sent: 2017-10-28T07:20:03-04:00 Importance: Normal Subject: Re: FIRST DRAFT: Speech for 10/30 IMCC Received: 2017-10-28T07:20:11-04:00 Thank you very much. > On Oct 27, 2017, at 7:49 PM, Nachmany, Eli <eli_nachmany@ios.doi.gov> wrote: > > Hey Vincent, > > I wanted to get this done before the weekend so you could review. Attached is my first crack at remarks for IMCC. After calling them, I realized I defer to Russ for edits. > > Russ: the speech is to a group of state-level mining folks. I discuss NEPA, coal moratorium, Stream Protection Rule, Energy Burdens Report. > > Best of luck for Monday! > > -> > Sincerely, > Eli Nachmany > Writer, U.S. Department of the Interior > Office of Communications > <1030 DeVito IMCC Remarks.docx> To: Vincent Devito[vincent_devito@ios.doi.gov] Cc: Landon Davis[ldavis@osmre.gov]; Newell,RusseN[njssell_newell@ios.doLgov] From: Nachmany, Eli Sent: 2017-10-27T19:49:24-04:00 Importance: Normal Subject: FIRST DRAFT: Speech for 10/30 IMCC Received: 2017-10-27T19:58:14-04:00 1030 DeVito IMCC Remarks.docx Hey Vincent, I wanted to get this done before the weekend so you could review. Attached is my first crack at remarks for IMCC. After calling them, I realized!(b) (5) I defer to Russ for edits. Russ: the speech is to a group of state-level mining folks. I discuss NEPA, coal moratorium, Stream Protection Rule, Energy Burdens Report. Best of luck for Monday! Sincerely, Eli Nachmany Writer, U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Communications VINCENT DEVITO IMCC REMARKS Good morning, and thank you for hosting me here today. Our Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke was honored by your invitation to join you all today, and he sends his thanks for all you are doing on the front lines to continue the American tradition of conservation. My name is Vincent DeVito, and I'm the Counselor to Secretary Zinke for Energy Polic y in President Donald Trump's administration. Let me tell you a little bit about Secretary Zinke. This is a man who served over two decades as a Navy SEAL, defending our freedom overseas. He has seen, first hand, the consequences of making top-down decisions without consulting those on the ground who are in charge of executing them. Secretary Zinke's philosophy is one of more outreach, more engagement, and restoring trust with our states and local communities. That philosophy is not one that the previous administration shared. We understand that the last eight years have been very difficult for you all. The oversight authority of the state shouldn't be completely usurped by the federal government, but that is what happened in many cases. Punitive regulations, imposed by the bureaucratic leviathan in Washington, D.C., not only hurt industry they negatively impacted your ability to do your jobs. Suspicion about the centralization of power was one of our country's founding principles, and we need to look no further than the mess of bureaucracy that Washington created to understand why. We know that states and local communities know more about their land than do federal regulators in a faraway capital. Of course, reasonable regulation has its place, and we can create a predictable regulatory climate, grounded in science in best practice, that works for everyone. We are not going to sacrifice our stewardship of our public lands. Worker safety and environmental protection are high priorities. Our issue lies with the burdensome, unnecessary regulations that add little value and lots of confusion. So, we are rolling it back. Last week, the Interior Department released our "Energy Burdens Report," which detailed the many ways the Trump Administration is accomplishing this objective. President Trump believes in achieving American energy dominance. For the miners across this country, this is a major shift. We recognize that mining jobs are great jobs. They're long-term, they're good paying, and they've been the bedrock of countless American communities for so many years. When we take these jobs away with bans and moratoriums on coal mining, we undermine the economic security of whole communities. Getting rid of federal coal leasing with the stroke of a pen might make a neat headline, but it destroys the economy of a coal community surrounded by federal lands. It also has the potential to break up the social cohesion of the town and take away hope. That's why Secretary Zinke overturned the coal moratorium, which banned coal leasing on federal lands. For those out West, this was a major victory. Along with reversing the coal moratorium, we believe there is work to be done on permitting. We should expedite the permitting process to ensure regulatory certainty, save taxpayer money, and sync up our bureaucratic opinions. When it comes to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, permitting applications can sit on the desks of regulators for months. Each agency involved in the process has to sign off on the application individually, and so it goes one by one, regulator by regulator, and by the time it's finally approved, if it even gets approved, the proposal is years old. This has the effect of suppressing development. It delays the promise of the American Dream for working families who rely on the jobs these energy projects provide. Secretary Zinke understands this problem, and we are looking at moving to a more joint model. A lot of our solutions just come down to common sense, good governance. In the joint model, we can get everyone in the room, work together across the agencies, and seriously cut down on the time, money, and paperwork it takes to approve an energy project. This is how we fight fires out West. It's how Secretary Zinke operated in the military. The thing is, we can get the permitting done in a shorter period of time while still upholding environmental standards. I say this, because under the last administration, the previous Secretary prioritized renewable energy, and was able to get permitting for a solar project down to 10 months. Under this administration, we are going to expedite the process, be good stewards, and not tip the scales in favor of one type of energy to satisfy a political agenda. With the help of Congress, President Trump was able to sign a disapproval of the Stream Protection Rule through the Congressional Review Act. Actions like these are proof positive of our commitment to transparency and consistency. Our Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the OSMRE, is reviewing other, additional actions to reduce the burden on coal development we're taking a look at reducing the amount of time it takes to formally amend a regulatory program under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, or "SMACK-RA." Interior is a large department. We manage one-fifth of the nation's land, and administer a great deal of mining through various bureaus, from OSMRE to the Bureau of Land Management to the Fish and Wildlife Service. With this much control, we have a responsibility to be a great partner to the states and the local communities that we work with. That is the Trump Administration's pledge. We are committed to serving the people, not the special interests. When we expedite permitting under NEPA, reverse arbitrary bans like the coal moratorium, and fix regulations like the Stream Protection Rule, it allows us to restore trust with our partners, like you all. Having a great working relationship with those at the state level is critical to mission success, and we know there is work to be done if we are going to bring it back. Instead of imposing our will from a distance, we are going to collaborate with you. That is the vision of President Trump.