Two changes to federal regulations for oil and gas development on public land would significantly curtail public participation in the leasing and development process.
The moves to cut out public input while accelerating energy development have become a hallmark of the Trump administration as it pursues faster approvals in service of the president’s energy “emergency.”
The proposed regulations from the Bureau of Land Management, an Interior agency that manages energy development on federal land, would eliminate two public comment periods currently conducted during the environmental permitting process, while also cutting threefold the period in which members of the public can protest a decision. A related change would charge people who file protests $1 for every page beyond 50 pages.
Slammed by environmentalists, Interior defended its moves by saying federal law does not require the comment periods to be a particular length.
