** Watchdog finds 10,000 unused drilling permits
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Thursday, April 23, 2020
Oil and gas drilling, Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])
A new report ([link removed]) from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms that during the Trump administration, oil and gas companies have ramped up holding unused drilling permits, preventing those public land areas from being managed for conservation, wildlife habitat, or outdoor recreation. The oil and gas industry currently holds 10,000 ([link removed]) unused drilling permits, which is a 25 percent increase over the past 3 years. In addition, BLM employees say that since processing permit requests is prioritized over other responsibilities, it cuts into their ability to perform safety inspections. This is having a clear effect, with inspections down 14 percent ([link removed]) , the number of issued violations down 43 percent, and the fines levied against the industry down 92 percent.
The coronavirus pandemic is demonstrating how important open spaces and access to them are for public health. The Trump administration, however, continues to prioritize oil, gas, and mining over conservation and recreation, allowing those industries to lock up land from the public for bargain rates ([link removed]) .
Quick hits
** New Mexico oil field leaks enough gas to power 7 million homes
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Bloomberg ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
** Colorado community's desire to move beyond coal ignored by BLM plan
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])
** Watchdog finds thousands of unused drilling permits
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E&E News ([link removed])
** Trump pushes to open national parks despite ongoing coronavirus threat
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The Hill ([link removed])
** How privatization would impact national parks
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National Geographic ([link removed])
** Pandemic is battering oil-state economies
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High Country News ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
** Climate simulator helps you decide how you can best fight warming
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Bloomberg ([link removed])
** Opinion: Sen. Udall reflects on Earth Day during a time of crisis
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Medium ([link removed])
Quote of the day
These are the highest emissions ever measured from a major U.S. oil and gas basin. There's so much methane escaping from Permian oil and gas operations that it nearly triples the 20-year climate impact of burning the gas they're producing.”
—Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, E&E News ([link removed])
Picture this
** @CanyonlandsNPS ([link removed])
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Canyonlands is a sanctuary of darkness in a brightly lit world, but perhaps the view outside your window has recently changed. Celebrate #InternationalDarkSkyWeek ([link removed]) by turning off exterior lights and looking out into the night. You may find a whole new view of the heavens await.
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** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
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