US Policy Changes For Drilling On Public Lands

In a recent article in the Denver Post, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said new rules could bring stricter environmental standards for oil and gas drilling on public lands. Here are a few paragraphs from the article.

"We don't believe we ought to be drilling anywhere and everywhere," Salazar said at a news conference. "We believe we need a balanced approach and a thoughtful approach" that allows development of oil and gas leases on public lands while also protecting national parks, endangered species and municipal watersheds.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., the panel's chairman, said the changes "move us closer to balancing the scales after a decade in which oil and gas companies had free reign to run roughshod on America's public lands."

Maybe we will get lucky and these rules will apply to ALL gas and oil drilling in the future.