The House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday that would speed up approvals for drilling in the Arctic by removing regulatory hurdles that have stymied development of the area’s vast oil and gas resources. The Republican-controlled House voted 253 to 166 in favor of the bill, which would require the Environmental Protection Agency to approve or deny applications to drill on the outer continental shelf within six months. “Current impediments have delayed development of the Beaufort and Chukchi sea for over five years,” the bill’s sponsor, Republican congressman Cory Gardner, said in a speech on the House floor. “These are areas that have already been approved for drilling; the revenues for the leases have already been collected by the federal government,” he said.

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House OKs speed-up of Arctic oil/gas permitting

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