Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Drilling and Fracking on Public Lands a Major Climate Threat, Groups Call for Restraint and Detailed Study
Contact: Tim Ream (541) 531-8541

Additional Contacts:

Abigail Dillen, Earthjustice, (406) 579-9844
Marissa Knodel, Friends of the Earth, (202) 222-0729
Diana Best, Greenpeace, (415) 265-8122
RuthBreech, Rainforest Action Network, (415) 238-1766
Tina Posterli, Waterkeeper Alliance, (516)526-9371

Washington, D.C.—Environmental groups today called on President Obama to order a review of the climate change implications of the federaloil and gas program and a halt to new oil and gas leases on American publiclands.

The call comes as the Obama Administration has leasedmillions of acres of U.S. public lands to oil and gas companies, opening thedoor for extensive drilling and fracking of some of the nation’s most treasuredlandscapes. Thirty-four million acres of public lands are now under the controlof the oil and gas industry.

“If you think the right-wing militants in Harney County,Oregon are bad, wait until you hear how oil and gas companies have taken overmillions of acres of our public lands,” said Tim Ream, Climate and EnergyCampaign Director of WildEarth Guardians. “It’s unbelievable that ourgovernment keeps leasing public land to dirty energy companies while turning ablind eye to the climate implications—it’s time to get the government out ofthe oil and gas business and return public lands to the people.”

This development is responsible for massive amounts ofcarbon pollution from methane leaks and oil and gas burning. Estimates indicate4% of all U.S. global warming pollution from U.S. energy sources comes from publiclands drilling and fracking, although a comprehensive review of the climateimpacts of public lands oil and gas has yet to be undertaken.

“The federal oil and gas program isinconsistent with our climate goals and needs a reality check,” said MarissaKnodel, Climate Change Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. “By taking intoaccount the significant impacts of drilling and fracking on our naturalheritage, the reality is that the costs to our lands, waters and climate areway too high. Until those costs are known, publicly owned oil and gas mustremain in the ground.”

In the lettertoday, the groups echoed the President’s own call to keep fossil fuels in theground and his State of the Union remarks that America needs to change the wayits oil and coal are managed to “better reflect the costs they impose ontaxpayers and the planet.”

“From New York to Paris, the peoplehave spoken and demand action to halt state-sanctioned initiatives that foulour waterways and endanger our planet,” said Marc Yaggi, National Director ofWaterkeeper Alliance. “A comprehensive environmental review of thefederal oil and gas program is long overdue.”

The federal onshore oil and gas program is managed by theU.S. Department of the Interior. Guidance posted on the White House’s own website since 2014 has directed Interior to completea comprehensive environmental review of climate emissions from the federal oiland gas program. Thus far, Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, has notheeded that call. Groups today called for a moratorium on new oil and gasleasing until a climate review is complete.

Today’s letter comes amid a growing Keep It in the Ground movement calling for an end to all new leasing of fossil fuels on U.S. public lands and waters. Thatmovement has protested recent Interior Department oil and gas lease sales,causing two to be postponed.

The letter can be found here.It was signed by Earthjustice, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, RainforestAction Network, Waterkeeper Alliance, and WildEarth Guardians.