Trump just took the first step of an aggressive effort to drill in the Arctic. “The Trump administration took the first step Thursday toward an aggressive effort to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the country’s most pristine and environmentally sensitive areas. The Bureau of Land Management, a division of the Interior Department, issued a notice of intent to begin an environmental impact analysis of how oil exploration and the heavy infrastructure required to support it would alter a landscape where plants and animals thrive.” [Washington Post, 4/19/18 (=)]
US official appeared to delay protections for endangered species at behest of oil group. “The Texas hornshell is a sleek green-grey mussel that once thrived in the Rio Grande watershed, its habitat stretching from southern New Mexico down into the arid Texas borderlands. Some of its habitat happens to overlap with rich deposits of oil and gas. Amid a long-term decline in its range, the Obama administration in 2016 proposed to declare the mussel an endangered species. Upon taking office, however, the Trump administration changed tack. A top interior department official, Vincent DeVito, appears to take credit for helping to delay federal protections for the species at the behest of fossil-fuel industry groups, one of several examples of his willingness to prioritize the needs of extractive industries with business before the government, according to public records obtained by the Guardian and Pacific Standard as well as Documented and the Western Values Project, both watchdog groups.” [Guardian, 4/20/18 (+)]
ANWR leasing critics pledge to fight 'uphill battle'. “New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall (D) said that any decisions to move forward with leasing on a ‘dangerously aggressive and unrealistic timeline’ would be countered with an extended courtroom brawl. ‘This move will be challenged in court, and we will keep holding the administration’s feet to the fire in every way we can,’ Udall said in a statement yesterday.” [E&E News, 4/20/18 (=)]
Methane rule freeze cannot be appealed — industry. “The oil and gas industry is urging an appeals court to reject a recent bid to revive Obama-era standards for methane emissions on public lands. The Independent Petroleum Association of America and Western Energy Alliance yesterday urged the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss a case from California, New Mexico and a coalition of environmentalists who support the regulation. The states and environmental groups are trying to reinstate key provisions of the rule after it ricocheted through two courts and was briefly revived and then quickly sidelined again.” [E&E News, 4/20/18 (=)]
Thousands of dollars in gift cards missing — IG. “The Bureau of Land Management cannot account for thousands of dollars in gift cards intended for ‘official purchases,’ Interior’s Office of Inspector General has found. In a report summary released yesterday, the OIG revealed that it was unable to determine what had happened to at least $7,655 in gift cards that had been intended for use by BLM’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES). The OIG reviewed receipts that showed more than $10,000 in gift cards had been provided to a former BLM law enforcement official and a BLM employee, neither of whom was identified.” [E&E News, 4/19/18 (=)]
Gov. Murphy to sign legislation banning offshore drilling. “Gov. Phil Murphy will visit the Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach today. While he’s there, he will be signing legislation banning offshore drilling in state waters. The governor has been fighting against the Trump administration plan for offshore drilling. Gov. Murphy tweeted Thursday that it would be a disaster for the environment, economy and coastal communities.” [News 12, 4/20/18 (+)]
Hunting, fishing fees will increase in Colorado. “Hunting, fishing and other recreational groups asked to pay more to protect Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and now they’ve gotten their wish. Senate Bill 143 passed the House 45-17 Thursday, providing the first infusion of cash to the agency in 13 years. Moreover, it assures that public lands and a raft of conservation programs don’t face deep cuts. The broadly spread, relatively minor fee increases are expected to raise $19.4 million a year for an industry that sportsman groups argue delivers $5 billion a year to Colorado’s economy.” [Durango Herald, 4/19/18 (=)]
Bennet reintroduces Colo. wilderness bill. “Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet reintroduced legislation yesterday to protect more than 60,000 acres of land in his state. The ‘San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act’ would designate a collection of peaks, including Mount Sneffels and Wilson Peak, in southwestern Colorado as wilderness, Bennet’s office said. The legislation is a product of consultation between the counties of San Miguel, San Juan and Ouray, according to a release. Previous iterations of the bill passed at the House and Senate committee level but never become law.” [E&E News, 4/20/18 (=)]
Op-Ed: Federal oil and gas rule rollback is bad news for Utah’s air. “In 2016 the BLM held more than half a dozen public hearings across the west, before finalizing new standards to cut methane waste and associated air pollution from oil and gas development on federal and tribal lands. But, despite bipartisan opposition to rollbacks in Congress and overwhelming opposition across the country, Zinke is choosing to gut reforms and instead rely on a 40-year-old regulatory framework that is disconnected from our 21st-century energy landscape. This rule reversal will leave Utah families with less funding for our schools and communities, wasted energy, and more smog pollution threatening the health of our children and senior” [Salt Lake Tribune, 4/19/18 (+)]
Op-Ed: Zinke should restore funding for Land and Water Conservation Fund. “As Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke has a critical voice in restoring LWCF funding. As a military veteran living in the Flathead Valley, I’d like to respectfully convey a message to another military veteran from the Flathead Valley. Mr. Secretary, please restore full and permanent funding for the LWCF. Those of us who love our public lands are counting on you and Congress to do the right thing. Please remember that we owe it to our grandchildren to protect our proud legacy of public access to public lands.” [Montana Standard, 4/20/18 (+)]
Op-Ed: Offshore drilling and exploration proposals prove no lessons learned after BP Deepwater Horizon. “It’s time for President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke to follow suit. If the administration approves dangerous exploration with seismic airguns, it is ignoring the people on the coast, ignoring the evidence that demonstrates the great harm this will cause to marine ecosystems and coastal economies, and is ignoring its mandate to responsibly protect and manage our nation’s natural resources. Eight years ago, we saw just how disastrous oil and gas exploration truly is. Trump and Zinke should reverse course on their dangerous exploration and offshore drilling plans.” [The Hill, 4/20/18 (+)]
Editorial: Offshore well rules should be made law. “On Thursday, Nelson and fellow Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington filed much-need legislation that would put the blowout-preventer and well-control rule into law. Their bill would also codify the Arctic Drilling Rule, which created special regulations affecting operations in icy waters. The legislation is warranted to protect not only the marine environment and coastal economies but human lives. By codifying the rules in law, the legislation would require congressional approval for any changes in them. Recollections of the Deepwater Horizon disaster may have faded a bit, so this eight-year anniversary is a reminder. Congress should pass Nelson’s bill as a sign that the painful lessons learned have not been forgotten.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 4/20/18 (+)]