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According to a new analysis by the Center for American Progress (CAP), one of the biggest and least scrutinized water users in the Western United States is the oil and gas industry. Producing oil from a single well requires millions of gallons of water. Multiply that by thousands of wells currently in operation across the arid West and it paints a bleak picture for limited and precious water supplies.
CAP's analysis of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) oil and gas leasing data shows that since the start of the Trump administration, more than 60% of leases were offered in areas classified as experiencing "high" or "extremely high" water stress, as defined by the World Resources Institute's Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. In New Mexico's booming Permian Basin, 95% of the BLM's leases were offered in "extremely high" water stressed areas.
Currently, there isn't a standard reporting requirement for energy companies' water usage, and the BLM does not offer adequate guidance on how the agency should consider water impacts in its leasing decisions.
BLM employees receive relocation letters
Washington, D.C.-based Bureau of Land Management employees received reassignment letters yesterday, kicking off a 30-day clock for each employee to accept a forced relocation, resign, or face potential termination just before the holiday season.
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With climate change increasing water scarcity in much of the West, consideration of energy development impacts on watersheds can no longer be optional.”
