Oil and Gas Leasing on Federal Lands Comes Under Intensive Scrutiny

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced changes to the federal onshore oil and gas leasing program that he says will improve protections for land, water, and wildlife and reduce potential conflicts that lead to costly and time-consuming protests and litigation of leases.

The reforms pleased conservationists, who say they will provide greater environmental oversight, more public involvement, increased certainty for industry, and abetter return to American taxpayers for energy development on federal lands. The oil and gas industry is upset over the additional regulatory hurdles companies must meet before they are allowed to drill for oil and gas on public lands.

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