October 7, 2005 (Washington, DC) - By a razor-thin 212 to 210 margin, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) that weakens public health and environmental standards and allows the President to designate sites on protected public lands for construction of oil refineries. The Republican majority kept the vote open well past the official deadline, reversing what would have been a defeat for the bill, H.R. 3893.

“This bill does nothing for American consumers in need,” said John Garder, public lands associate for The Wilderness Society. “Instead, it endangers public health and some of our most treasured public lands for the benefit of oil companies that are already enjoying record profits.”

The bill includes a provision (Sec. 101(b)) that directs the President to designate federal lands for the location of refineries. The only federal lands excluded are National Park System units, Wilderness Areas, and National Monuments. The provision opens the door to construction of refineries in National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, Wilderness Study Areas, and millions of acres of wilderness-quality Bureau of Land Management land.

“In a time when Congress should be standing by the American people, it is disturbing to see them hand the oil industry the keys to our protected public lands and a free pass to pollute the air and water,” said Garder. “We’re talking about our children’s health and our children’s inheritance, after all.”

Also included in the bill are provisions that delay existing smog cleanup deadlines, place strict limitations on the use of clean vehicle fuels and biofuels, and take permitting and oversight authorities from local and federal agencies charged with protecting the public health and hand them over to the Department of Energy.