After failed attempt to lobby Congress, Secretary Ryan Zinke rips off taxpayers on his own
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 12, 2018
DENVER—The Bureau of Land Management today announced it would effectively eliminate its Methane and Waste Prevention Rule, which limits flaring, venting, and leaks of methane from oil and gas operations on public lands. In response, the Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Advocacy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn:
“Effectively eliminating a policy that reduces natural gas waste, saves taxpayers money, and gives Westerners cleaner air to breathe would normally be unthinkable. Unfortunately, Secretary Zinke has made it clear he will do anything for oil and gas lobbyists, taxpayers be damned.
“Secretary Zinke personally lobbied U.S. senators to kill this rule, but he failed, with the Senate voting down a proposal to do just that. It appears the secretary is hellbent on finishing the job himself. We are now going back to a time when oil and gas companies could waste publicly-owned natural gas at will with no repercussions.”