Report acknowledges significant flaws in existing oil and gas program and proposes sensible reforms
Washington D.C – Today the Department of the Interior released an extensive review of the nation’s existing oil and gas leasing system, which identified significant shortcomings and proposed a number of reforms.
Matt Kirby, senior energy and conservation director for the National Parks Conservation Association, said:
“This report finally recognizes the federal government’s existing oil and gas program is fundamentally broken. For years, the existing system has benefitted oil and gas corporations and overlooked the dangerous impacts to national parks, public health and the climate from reckless energy development.
“The reforms it recommends are sensible and ensure companies pay standard fees and costs of restoration. They also seek to protect national parks, local communities, and taxpayers by reining in a system that allows leasing on lands with low potential as well as long term leases that go unused for decades.
“Congress now has a chance to implement these common-sense reforms in the Build Back Better Act and ensure that our public lands are not only better protected, but are part of the solution.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its nearly 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
