On February 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order directing the roll back of Clean Water Act rules promulgated under the Obama administration. The rules, known as the Waters of the United States rule, defines federal permitting jurisdiction under the CWA. During his 2016 campaign, the president spoke frequently of his intentions to roll […]
February 17, 2017 | Category:
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oil & gasThe U.S. Senate confirmed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the U.S. EPA administrator on a 52-46 vote split largely along party lines. Quoting the New York Times report: “Democrats railed all night on the Senate floor against Mr. Pruitt and urged Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, to delay the confirmation vote […]
February 1, 2017 | Category:
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Rocky Mountain Mineral Law FoundationSecretary of the Interior nominee Ryan Zinke and Secretary of Energy nominee Rick Perry were approved by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, paving the way for their confirmation by the full Senate. The committee approved Zinke by a 16-6 vote, and Perry by a 16-7 vote. Angering the Democrats on the Committee, […]
January 25, 2017 | Category:
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mitchell chadwick llpOn January 13, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) filed a settlement agreement in U.S. District Court along with off-highway vehicle advocates and various conservation groups. If approved by the court, the agreement would end more than 8 years of litigation over land use and travel management plans on approximately 10 million BLM-administered acres in […]
November 24, 2016 | Category:
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Rocky Mountain Mineral Law FoundationObama Administration Declares Atlantic and Arctic Off-Limits to Oil and Gas Drilling On Friday, November 18, 2016, the Obama administration announced that the Department of the Interior’s 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas leasing plan (“Leasing Plan”) will restrict drilling activities to the Gulf of Mexico, and one already-developed area in the Arctic’s Cook Inlet. Secretary […]
August 10, 2016 | Category:
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mitchell chadwick llpNEPA Greenhouse Gas Guidance Released by CEQ This week, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released final guidance for Federal agencies intended to clarify when and how they conduct GHG analyses as part of National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) reviews. GHG guidance was first drafted in 2010, and revised in 2014. Previous draft versions […]
June 22, 2016 | Category:
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mitchell chadwick llp Wyoming Judge To BLM: Hands Off Oil and Gas Development A federal judge in Wyoming struck down the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s fracking rule for federal and Indian lands, finding that BLM lacked congressional authority to issue the regulations. The Obama fracking rule added a permit requirement for hydraulic fracturing on BLM lands, […]
June 9, 2016 | Category:
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oil and gasFeds Issue First-Ever Technical Guidance For Environmental Justice On June 7th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a technical guidance document Tuesday covering how to incorporate environmental justice principles when evaluating development projects. (Press Release HERE.) According to the EPA, the Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Actions outlines approaches and methods to […]
EPA’s New Methane Rules on Oil and Gas Operations Spells Trouble for Industry The Rule: On August 18th, the U.S. EPA proposed rules that would require new and modified oil and natural gas operations to cut emissions of methane. The proposed rules would be part of a broader effort under President Obama’s Climate Action Plan […]
