Latest news with #InteriorDepartment
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Feds remove 18 regulations that hurt energy production and mining
June 3 (UPI) -- The Interior Department has eliminated 18 outdated or redundant Bureau of Land Management regulations that the Trump administration says stymied energy production on public lands. The rescinded regulations include those regarding prospecting for mineral resources, mining claims, oil shale placer claims, and geothermal leases and drilling, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Tuesday in a news release. Other rescinded regulations include those for public lands hearings, annual fees for oil placer mining claims, surface management plans for mining, and hardrock mineral processing and milling. "This effort embodies our dedication to removing bureaucratic red tape that hinders American innovation and energy production," Burgum said. "By rescinding these outdated regulations, we are not only reducing costs and streamlining processes but also reinforcing our commitment to energy independence and national prosperity." Burgum said that commitment won't stop the Interior Department from "maintaining the highest standards of environmental stewardship." At least one environmental group disagrees. Removing the regulations also removes federal oversight of geothermal energy projects and mineral mining on public lands and in federally managed wilderness areas, officials with the Sierra Club said on Tuesday in a news release. The changes were made without any public input, the Sierra Club said. "Cutting the public out of a major policy change is a sign the policy isn't good for the public," said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program. "Rather than give the American people a chance to check their work, the Trump administration is forcing through changes that make it easier for corporate polluters to profit off the public lands that are held in trust for the American people," Manuel said. "It's just one more indication that [President] Donald Trump and his cabinet will stop at nothing to sell out our public lands to their billionaire buddies." The Sierra Club said the regulatory changes also fast-track "corporate extraction, like drilling, mining and logging, on public lands." It did not indicate whether or not a federal court challenge would be filed in the matter.
UPI
6 hours ago
- Business
- UPI
Feds remove 18 regulations that hurt energy production and mining
June 3 (UPI) -- The Interior Department has eliminated 18 outdated or redundant Bureau of Land Management regulations that the Trump administration says stymied energy production on public lands. The rescinded regulations include those regarding prospecting for mineral resources, mining claims, oil shale placer claims, and geothermal leases and drilling, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Tuesday in a news release. Other rescinded regulations include those for public lands hearings, annual fees for oil placer mining claims, surface management plans for mining, and hardrock mineral processing and milling. "This effort embodies our dedication to removing bureaucratic red tape that hinders American innovation and energy production," Burgum said. "By rescinding these outdated regulations, we are not only reducing costs and streamlining processes but also reinforcing our commitment to energy independence and national prosperity." Burgum said that commitment won't stop the Interior Department from "maintaining the highest standards of environmental stewardship." At least one environmental group disagrees. Removing the regulations also removes federal oversight of geothermal energy projects and mineral mining on public lands and in federally managed wilderness areas, officials with the Sierra Club said on Tuesday in a news release. The changes were made without any public input, the Sierra Club said. "Cutting the public out of a major policy change is a sign the policy isn't good for the public," said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program. "Rather than give the American people a chance to check their work, the Trump administration is forcing through changes that make it easier for corporate polluters to profit off the public lands that are held in trust for the American people," Manuel said. "It's just one more indication that [President] Donald Trump and his cabinet will stop at nothing to sell out our public lands to their billionaire buddies." The Sierra Club said the regulatory changes also fast-track "corporate extraction, like drilling, mining and logging, on public lands." It did not indicate whether or not a federal court challenge would be filed in the matter.
E&E News
12 hours ago
- Business
- E&E News
Interior intends to lose a lot of lawyers. What happens then?
President Donald Trump's Interior Department intends to lawyer down, not up, even as its litigation risks start to climb. The resulting tension could spell trouble if the Interior solicitor's office ends up with the White House's proposed 38 percent funding cut while an aggressive agenda all but invites more legal challenges. 'It could just be a disaster for the department,' former Interior Solicitor Robert Anderson, who ran the office during the Biden administration, cautioned in an interview. He added that 'cutting the staff is only going to make it more difficult for them to do an adequate job that will withstand scrutiny from the inevitable lawsuits.' Advertisement The escalating legal battles are already taking place.
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First Post
20 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
Trump administration unveils bill to expand drilling and mining across millions of acres in Alaska
The rule, finalized by the administration of former President Joe Biden last year, prohibited oil and gas leasing, on 10.6 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, while limiting development on more than 2 million additional acres read more The village of Kaktovik is seen at the edge of Barter Island in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, near Kaktovik, Alaska. AP The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday proposed rolling back Biden-era limits on oil and gas drilling in an Alaska area that is the nation's largest tract of undisturbed public land. The move is consistent with Trump's goal to slash regulations for oil and gas development and increase domestic fuels production as part of his energy agenda. The rule, finalized by the administration of former President Joe Biden last year, prohibited oil and gas leasing, on 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares) of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, while limiting development on more than 2 million additional acres (809,000 hectares). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The NPR-A, as it is known, is a 23-million-acre (9.3 million hectares) area on Alaska's North Slope that was set aside in 1923 as an emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy. The land was opened to commercial development in the 1970s and is now managed by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management. The Interior Department said the Biden-era rule was inconsistent with the 1976 Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, which authorized oil and gas leasing in the area. 'Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development,' Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. 'The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical.' The Biden administration's Interior Department last April finalized the regulation to block oil and gas development on 40% of Alaska's National Petroleum Preserve to protect habitats for polar bears, caribou and other wildlife and the way of life of Indigenous communities, it had said at the time. Environmental groups had praised the Biden rule for protecting habitats and cultural resources, but Alaska state officials said the restrictions would cost jobs and make the U.S. reliant on foreign resources. Alaska's North Slope accounts for just over 3% of U.S. oil production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Interior to rescind Biden order on Alaska reserve drilling curbs
The Interior Department on Monday proposed to rescind Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Why it matters: It's the latest Trump administration move to emphasize fossil fuels in a bid for U.S. " energy dominance." Driving the news: Department officials said in a statement that the Biden administration's imposition of restrictions "exceeds the agency's statutory authority" under a 1976 law while imposing "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development." Interior under Biden unveiled final plans last year to protect more than 13 million acres in the 23-million-acre reserve, with an outright ban on new oil and gas leases on 10.6 million acres. Large hydrocarbon deposits underlie sensitive wildlife habitat in the Alaska expanse. What they're saying: "Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. But Marlee Goska, Alaska attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the move could wreak havoc on undisturbed habitat for caribou, polar bears and belugas.
