For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 30, 2004

Executive Order: Issuance of Permits with Respect to Certain Energy-Related Facilities and Land Transportation Crossings on the International Boundaries of the United States

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in order to amend Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968, as amended, and to further the policy of my Administration as stated in Executive Order 13212 of May 18, 2001, as amended, to expedite reviews of permits as necessary to accelerate the completion of energy production and transmission projects, and to provide a systematic method for evaluating and permitting the construction and maintenance of certain border crossings for land transportation, including motor and rail vehicles, that do not require construction or maintenance of facilities connecting the United States with a foreign country, while maintaining safety, public health, and environmental protections, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) Except with respect to facilities covered by Executive Order 10485 of September 3, 1953, and Executive Order 10530 of May 10, 1954, the Secretary of State is hereby designated and empowered to receive all applications for Presidential permits, as referred to in Executive Order 11423, as amended, for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the exportation or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels to or from a foreign country.

(b) Upon receipt of a completed application pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall:

(i) Request additional information needed from the applicant, as

appropriate, before referring the application to other agencies

pursuant to paragraph (b)(ii) of this section;

(ii) Refer the application and pertinent information to, and request

the views of, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the

Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary

of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Homeland

Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,

or the heads of the departments or agencies in which the relevant

authorities or responsibilities of the foregoing are subsequently

conferred or transferred, and, for applications concerning the border

with Mexico, the United States Commissioner of the International

Boundary and Water Commission; and

(iii) Refer the application and pertinent information to, and

request the views of, such other Federal Government department and

agency heads as the Secretary of State deems appropriate.

(c) All Federal Government officials consulted by the Secretary of State pursuant to paragraph (b)(ii) or (b)(iii) of this section shall provide their views and render such assistance as may be requested, consistent with their authority, in a timely manner, but not to exceed 90 days from the date of the request.

(d) Should any of the Federal Government officials consulted pursuant to paragraph (b)(ii) or (b)(iii) of this section request from the Department of State additional infor-mation that is necessary for them to provide their views or to render such assistance as may be required, the time elapsed between the date of that request for additional information and the date such additional information is received shall not be counted in calculating the time period prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

(e) The Secretary of State may also consult with such State, tribal, and local government officials and foreign governments, as the Secretary deems appropriate, with respect to each application. The Secretary shall solicit responses in a timely manner, not to exceed 90 days from the date of the request.

(f) Upon receiving the views and assistance requested pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (e) of this section, the Secretary of State shall consider, in light of any statutory or other requirements or other considerations, whether or not additional information is needed in order to evaluate the application and, as appropriate, request such information from the applicant.

(g) After consideration of the views and assistance obtained pursuant to paragraphs (b) and, as appropriate, (e) and (f) of this section and any public comments submitted pursuant to section 3(a) of this order, if the Secretary of State finds that issuance of a permit to the applicant would serve the national interest, the Secretary shall prepare a permit, in such form and with such terms and conditions as the national interest may in the Secretary's judgment require, and shall notify the officials required to be consulted under paragraph (b)(ii) of this section of the proposed determination that a permit be issued.

(h) After consideration of the views obtained pursuant to paragraphs (b) and, as appropriate, (e) and (f) of this section and any public comments provided pursuant to section 3(a) of this order, if the Secretary of State finds that issuance of a permit to the applicant would not serve the national interest, the Secretary shall notify the officials required to be consulted under paragraph (b)(ii) of this section of the proposed determination that the application be denied.

(i) The Secretary of State shall issue or deny the permit in accordance with the proposed determination unless, within 15 days after notification pursuant to paragraphs (g) or (h) of this section, an official required to be consulted under paragraph (b)(ii) of this section shall notify the Secretary of State that he or she disagrees with the Secretary's proposed determination and requests the Secretary to refer the application to the President. In the event of such a request, the Secretary of State shall consult with any such requesting official and, if necessary, shall refer the application, together with statements of the views of any official involved, to the President for consideration and a final decision.

Sec. 2. (a) Section 1(a) of Executive Order 11423, as amended, is amended to read as follows: "Except with respect to facilities covered by Executive Order Nos. 10485 and 10530, and by section 1(a) of the Executive Order of April 30, 2004, entitled "Issuance of Permits with Respect to Certain Energy-Related Facilities and Land Transportation Crossings on the International Boundaries of the United States" (the order of April 30, 2004), the Secretary of State is hereby designated and empowered to receive all applications for Presidential permits for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of:

(i) pipelines, conveyor belts, and similar facilities for the

exportation or importation of all products, except those specified in

section 1(a) of the order of April 30, 2004, to or from a foreign

country;

(ii) facilities for the exportation or importation of water or

sewage to or from a foreign country;

(iii) facilities for the transportation of persons or things, or

both, to or from a foreign country;

(iv) bridges, to the extent that congressional authorization is not

required;

(v) similar facilities above or below ground; and

(vi) border crossings for land transportation, including motor and

rail vehicles, to or from a foreign country, whether or not in

conjunction with the facilities identified in (iii) above.

(b) Section 1(b) of Executive Order 11423, as amended, is amended by deleting the text "(a)(iii), (iv), or (v)" and by inserting the text "(a)(iii), (iv), (v), or (vi)" in lieu thereof.

Sec. 3. (a) The Secretary of State may provide for the publication in the Federal Register of notice of receipt of applications, for the receipt of public comments on appli-cations, and for notices related to the issuance or denial of applications.

(b) The Secretary of State is authorized to issue such further rules and regulations, and to prescribe such further procedures, including, but not limited to, those relating to the International Boundary and Water Commission, as may from time to time be deemed necessary or desirable for the exercise of the authority conferred by this order.

Sec. 4. All permits heretofore issued with respect to facilities described in section 2(a) of this order pursuant to Executive Order 11423, as amended, and in force at the time of issuance of this order, and all permits issued hereunder, shall remain in effect in accordance with their terms unless and until modified, amended, suspended, or revoked by the appropriate authority.

Sec. 5. Nothing contained in this order shall be construed to affect the authority of any department or agency of the United States Government, or to supersede or replace the requirements established under any other provision of law, or to relieve a person from any requirement to obtain authoriza-tion from any other department or agency of the United States Government in compliance with applicable laws and regulations subject to the jurisdiction of that department or agency.

Sec. 6. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right, benefit, or trust responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumen-tali-ties, or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

April 30, 2004.

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