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U.S. House of Reps. moves to encourage drilling in national parks

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The National Park Service is encouraging all citizens to call their reps and demand this action be STOPPED.

Use the below information and template to help with that:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/

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WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) last night introduced H.J. Res. 46, which seeks to repeal updates to the National Park Service’s “9B” rules. The rules require detailed planning and set safety standards for oil and gas drilling inside the more than 40 national parks that have “split estate” ownership, where the federal government owns the surface but not the subsurface mineral rights.

The resolution is just the latest in a series of moves by federal lawmakers to weaken environmental protections for national parks under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). If these repeals are signed into law under the CRA, it will not only stop these protections, it will also prohibit agencies from issuing similar rules and protections in the future, unless directed by Congress.

The House is set to vote Friday to repeal rules to prevent the waste of methane gas from oil and gas facilities. CRA challenges were also introduced Monday in the House and Senate to repeal Bureau of Land Management “Planning 2.0” rules, which seek to guide an appropriate balance of energy development, conservation and recreation on public lands by better utilizing environmental science.

Below is a statement by Nicholas Lund, Senior Manager of National Parks Conservation Association’s Conservation Programs:

“These challenges are direct attacks on America’s national parks. Each of these rules provides the commonsense protections for national parks that millions of Americans demand. If the Park Service’s drilling rules are repealed, national parks across the country would be subjected to poorly regulated oil and gas drilling, threatening parks’ air, water and wildlife. These attempts to weaken protections put our parks at risk. And by using the Congressional Review Act process, Congress is forever tying the hands of the agencies charged with protecting America’s favorite places. If Congress wants to protect national parks for future generations, it must reject these challenges.”

Background

There are more than 40 national parks where the federal government does not own the mineral rights below the surface, including Cuyahoga Valley NP in Ohio, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

The 9B rules are updates to rules established in 1978 setting reasonable safeguards for national parks from private oil and gas development. The rules simply require an operator to produce a Plan of Operations before accessing their mineral rights, give the National Park Service (NPS) the authority to conduct safety enforcement and provide standard technical requirements for the safeguarding of national park air, water, and wildlife.

If Congress repeals these rules, drilling could occur in national parks with little more than bare-minimum state regulations. The Park Service will have essentially no authority over oil and gas development proposed inside national parks. Leaks and spills could go unpunished without NPS authority to enforce safety standards. Companies would be able to build roads through national parks to begin drilling, such as the 11-mile road through the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve built to reach an oil and gas lease. Drilling companies would not be required to inform parks or park visitors about when or how drilling operations would occur.

https://www.npca.org/articles/1462-...=socialmedia#sm.000htn65h1aaleuxwsw1fx4gnaa8d
 

Blader

Member
“split estate” ownership, where the federal government owns the surface but not the subsurface mineral rights.

What a ridiculous arrangement. Who thought this was a good idea?
 
I'm surprised honestly, I always figured Americans and to a greater extent Republicans loved the great outdoors and woodsman life....

Guess money Trumps all
 
Can we just use the pure centrifugal force of Reagan and Teddy's spinning corpses to power our electrical grids? They must be spinning at thousands of MPH at this point.
 
I'm surprised honestly, I always figured Americans and to a greater extent Republicans loved the great outdoors and woodsman life....

Guess money Trumps all
Not all republicans are the same. Looks like this is literally one Representative. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-joint-resolution/46

Many, many bills are introduced every year and don't go anywhere. The OP doesn't seem to have any info indicating that this bill is supported by more than 1 guy or has any chance of making it through committee.
 

jett

D-Member
Member when people were glad 2016 was put behind us.

What the fuck is wrong with these people. How can you be this callous.
 

Beartruck

Member
Jesus. Its not enough to just loosen drilling regulations, they HAVE to do it in National Parks, because apparently the idea of an untouched beauty that belongs to everyone pisses them off.
 

RK128

Member
Considering they want to pass an act/bill/etc that revokes the rights of endangered animals, it isn't shocking those evil pricks in power want to ruin some of the nations great parks. Shame to hear this, as future generations will never see the beauty and nature they offer. In addition, the animals living in these parks will likely die or have no home if drilling becomes common.

I don't know if enough will happen to prevent drilling honestly, so I will just be hopeful elements of these parks will be documented and that the wildlife will be transferred to safer location while drilling commences.

Hate sounding so defeatist but really not sure if this could be fought against.

The party of Teddy Roosevelt, folks.

The republican party doesn't give two shits about legacy, honor and respect. All they care about is how much money they can stuff in their pockets and how much power they can hold. They are likely laughing about insulting Teddy Roosevelt's legacy honestly.
 
It's one thing to try and "clean up" the endangered species designation. That you can at least twist in to something positive with convoluted logic. But oil drilling in a park when gas prices are so low? Not sure how you sell that to anyone.
 

ColdPizza

Banned
What could possibly go wrong?

This is bullshit. When my kids are finally old enough, I was hoping to take them around the country to show them what our National Parks have to offer, and now me and my kids might be hiking and see a fucking oil derrick.
 
It's one thing to try and "clean up" the endangered species designation. That you can at least twist in to something positive with convoluted logic. But oil drilling in a park when gas prices are so low? Not sure how you sell that to anyone.

They can call it oil clean up duty, You know oil is filthy so why would you want to have that under your park it's best to remove it as a soon as possible.
 

Kiriku

SWEDISH PERFECTION
It's one thing to try and "clean up" the endangered species designation. That you can at least twist in to something positive with convoluted logic. But oil drilling in a park when gas prices are so low? Not sure how you sell that to anyone.

Think of all the jobs it will create! Or something... :/
 

Beartruck

Member
It just dawned on me why they're doing this: they know the world's going to a green/electric future, so they're basically going apeshit and trying to drill ALL THE OIL while they still can before it greatly diminishes as a commodity. In other words, typical republican policy: Fuck anything that comes after q4.
 

Lifeline

Member
They'll sell it by saying the oil companies will help better take care of the parks. They'll lower the budget, fire park employees, blame the low maintaince and any accidental deaths on the service.

Then talk about how Exxon Mobile will put millions in keeping the parks safe.
 
Now you know why the NPS people were the first to protest. For a party that pretends to cater to hunters and sportsmen, this should be unconscionable.
 
If they somehow repeal the law and go through with drilling in national parks Teddy Roosevelt might actually rise from the dead due to pure rage.
 
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