Originally published November 28 2005
Energy bill expedites the opening of land for oil production
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Environmentalists are concerned with the streamlined process of assessing oil production sites that has been implemented by the new energy bill.
In a push by the Bush administration to open more public land to oil and gas production, the Interior Department has quit conducting environmental reviews and seeking comments from local residents every time drilling companies propose new wells.
Field officials have been told to consider issuing permits based on past studies of an entire project, even though some of those assessments may be outdated.
The instructions are in a directive from the department's Bureau of Land Management.
President Bush and Congress authorized the streamlining as part of an energy bill signed into law in August.
BLM officials, saying the need for energy supplies is immediate, showed unusual speed implementing it.
Director Kathleen Clarke sent out the new guidance Sept. 30.
"We think all these items will increase the supply this winter," Deputy Director Jim Hughes said in an interview.
"However, everyone is saying it won't be enough to wipe out the impact of the hurricanes and all that."
The energy bill created new "categorical exclusions" under the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act for allowing new oil, gas and geothermal wells without first conducting environmental studies or soliciting public comment on them.
Energy producers still would be required to comply with other environmental laws, such as those intended to protect endangered species, air and water quality and cultural artifacts.
So far, no new permits have been issued under the new guidance.
But Interior officials expect it to spur more drilling on open ranges and in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Those include Powder River Basin of Wyoming, the Uintah Basin of Utah and the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Colorado, areas where drilling has boomed in recent years.
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