Urgent Action Needed: Commonsense Reforms That Protect Taxpayers From Paying for Corporations’ Clean-up Costs Are Under Attack by Members of Congress
After more than 100 years of a woefully antiquated oil and gas leasing program, the Department of the Interior released in April of this year a long-anticipated and overdue Bureau of Land Management's rulemaking, which modernizes the nation's system to ensure the responsible management of natural resources, proper stewardship of our public lands, and a fair return to taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the BLM's onshore oil and gas rule to protect taxpayers and public lands is under attack because members of Congress introduced resolutions in both the Senate and House chambers to repeal these commonsense reforms under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
Senator Steve Daines from Montana introduced S.J. Res. 78 in the Senate. His efforts directly contradict the desires of his constituents, as recent polling reveals that 93 percent of Montanans support requiring oil and gas companies, rather than federal and state taxpayers, to pay for all the clean-up and land restoration costs after drilling. In the House, Representative Lauren Boebert from introduced H.J. Res. 154.
These resolutions are proposing a fiscally irresponsible choice that favors corporations over taxpayers. Removal of the current reforms would ensure oil and gas companies continue to rake in record-breaking profits while American taxpayers lose billions of dollars in revenues that could fund schools and infrastructure projects in their communities.
The new oil and gas rule aims to protect taxpayers from unfair clean-up costs and raises bonding rates to prevent future abandonment of wells. This reform is urgently needed, as there are thousands of wells on public lands that are no longer producing oil or gas and could become orphaned –inactive and unplugged wells that contaminate water supplies, degrade ecosystems, and emit air pollutants – in the coming years. Additionally, the rule provides a fair return to taxpayers by increasing fees for oil and gas development.
The rule has unprecedented public support from Americans regardless of party affiliation. More than 261,000 Americans submitted comments for the draft proposal, and 99.4 percent supported the reforms. According to the 2024 Conservation in the West Poll, ninety percent of Westerners believe that oil and gas companies should pay to clean up their messes – a burden taxpayers shouldered for too long.
The timing of a floor vote on either resolution is unknown, but it can happen at any time with little notice.
That’s why we must act now to defend the oil and gas rule and ensure leaders from across the political spectrum do everything possible to defend the reforms and hard-working families – it’s just common sense.
Your voice matters. Tell Congress to protect taxpayers and stop reckless attacks on the oil and gas rule by signing this petition.