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Tag: Infrastructure

Daines, Zinke Statement on Pacific International Terminals, Inc. Pausing the Gateway Pacific Terminal Review

April 1, 2016

U.S. CONGRESS — Montana Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke today issued the following statement after Pacific International Terminals, Inc. announced that they are voluntarily requesting the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) to pause the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) infrastructure project.  “The federal government is clearly slow walking the approval process on the Gateway Pacfiic Terminal as part of its effort to destroy coal jobs,” Daines stated. “The Gateway Pacific Terminal would provide access to international markets for Montana coal and agriculture products – including Crow coal – creating much needed good-paying union and tribal jobs.

Daines Secures Necessary Reforms to Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization

March 16, 2016

U.S. SENATE —Senator Steve Daines today secured important provisions to improve Montana air travel for passengers, pilots and the aviation industry.  During today’s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation mark-up on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016, Daines fought to secure important provisions for Montana.  “It’s important that Montanans have reliable, safe and affordable access to air travel,” Daines stated. “This is a step in the right direction in securing our skyways by prioritizing necessary infrastructure improvements for our airports. ” Daines secured the following provisions in the FAA reauthorization: Maintains Essential Air Service (EAS) serving seven Montana communities.

Daines’ Bipartisan Pipeline Safety Bill Passes Senate

March 3, 2016

U.S. SENATE — This evening, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Daines’ bipartisan legislation to help ensure the safety of America’s pipeline network. The Securing America’s Future Energy: Protecting Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (SAFE PIPES) Act, would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through 2019.  The SAFE PIPES Act is also sponsored by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). “A safe, secure and efficient pipeline infrastructure is critical to our nation and essential to Montana – for energy security, jobs and environment protection,” Daines stated. “Today’s passage of

Daines Reaffirms Importance of Passenger Rail to Montana

February 23, 2016

Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Senator Steve Daines today called on Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman to work with Eastern Montana stakeholders on efforts to reinstate an Empire Builder stop in Culbertson, Montana. During this morning’s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on passenger rail, Daines successfully received a commitment from Boardman to visit and work with local leaders to discuss modernizing the existing station or building a new station in Culbertson.   Daines: “Mr. Boardman, the recent FAST Act is the longest surface transportation bill Congress has produced in 17 years, it

Tester, Daines push Blackfeet Water Compact to Senate floor

February 3, 2016

After years of negotiations, Senators lead charge to pass historic water rights agreement  (U.S. Senate)—Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines today led the charge to push the Blackfeet Water Compact through the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and onto the Senate floor.  This decades-in-the-making agreement will resolve water rights claims on the Blackfeet Reservation and ensure access to reliable and clean water for the communities within the Reservation, as well as farms, ranches, and businesses in the surrounding area.  This compact will save taxpayers millions by avoiding costly litigation between the Blackfeet Tribe and the federal government.  “Reliable access to clean

Daines Calls on FCC to Clarify Broadband Definition

January 22, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today led five of his Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify their inconsistent and arbitrary definitions of broadband, which could detrimentally impact rural Montanans. The letter is also signed by Roger Wicker (MS), Roy Blunt (MO), Deb Fischer (NE), Ron Johnson (WI) and Cory Gardner (CO). The senators expressed their concerns that: The FCC’s arbitrary 25/3 Mbps benchmark speed does not reflect what most Americans consider broadband The use of this benchmark discourages providers from offering speeds at or above the benchmark The definition contradicts the broadband definition used in

Daines Slams FCC Rebuff of Montana Small Businesses

December 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines slammed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for failing to permanently protect Montana small businesses from burdensome regulations found in the FCC’s 317-page “net neutrality” rules. Earlier today, the FCC rebuffed Daines’ request to provide small Internet service providers with a permanent exemption from their new so-called “enhanced transparency requirements,” which requires Internet service providers to disclose an excess of information about their network performance.  The FCC offered a one-year extension of the exemption, which disregards numerous Congressional requests and the recommendation of the Obama administration’s Small Business Administration to provide a permanent exemption of the

Daines Applauds Passage of Multi-Year Highway Bill

December 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today applauded the passage of a multi-year highway bill that provides Montanans much-needed certainty in infrastructure investments:  “The long-overdue passage of a multi-year highway bill is great news for Montana and a critical step forward in providing our state with the certainty needed to make long-term infrastructure investments,” Daines stated. “Our transportation infrastructure is a critical component of our state’s economy and given Montana’s short construction season, it’s imperative that communities and contractors alike have the certainty needed to move forward with badly-needed infrastructure improvement projects.  This bill ends Congress’s irresponsible trend of short-term Band-Aids and temporary extensions

Daines Introduces Bipartisan Pipeline Safety Bill

November 10, 2015

“SAFE PIPES” Act Would Reauthorize PHMSA Through 2019  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure the safety of America’s pipeline network.  The legislation, known as the Securing America’s Future Energy: Protecting Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (SAFE PIPES) Act, would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through 2019. The SAFE PIPES Act is also sponsored by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.). “Safe and secure pipeline infrastructure is critical to our nation and is especially important to Montanans – both for economic opportunity and environmental

Daines Announces $10 Million in Funding for Infrastructure Improvements in Kalispell

October 26, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today announced that the city of Kalispell has been awarded $10 million in Transportation, Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funds for critical infrastructure improvements in downtown Kalispell.  The Glacier Rail Park/Kalispell Core Area Development and Trail Project will construct rail and road infrastructure at Glacier Rail Park to accommodate existing and prospective customers and remove rail from downtown Kalispell. The project will also increase pedestrian and cyclist access to streets, as well as construct a trail system and parks stretching across the community.  “This long-overdue grant is great news for the city of Kalispell and will