The Trump Administration is speeding up Approvals for Big Oil to Drill near Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Irreplaceable Archaeological Treasures that are Sacred for Southwest Indigenous Nations.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) was set up to Protect our Public Lands and National Monuments, Preserving our Environment and Natural Heritage for Future Generations. But now, Trump’s Administration is helping their Big Polluters to Drill and Mine Hundreds of Thousands of Acres across the Western U.S. at Rock-Bottom Prices.
Pushing forward Lease Sales and Speeding up Oil Production on Public Lands isn’t just Destructive, it makes absolutely No Sense right now, during an Oil Glut that has led to a Massive Storage Problem. In fact, Oil Tankers with nowhere to go have been Carrying 20 Million Barrels of Crude Oil All along California's Coast for weeks on end, an Oil Spill waiting to happen.
Trump’s DOI and Fossil Fuel Corporations are working Hand-in-Hand to try to Drill in or near Treasured Landscapes like: Chaco; Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico; Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah; Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona; and Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments in Utah.
These are All Iconic Landscapes held in the Public Trust, upon which Threatened Species rely. In addition to irreversibly Devastating Ecosystems and Endangering Wildlife, Drilling, and Mining, in our Public Lands leads to:
- Radioactive Wastewater that Poisons Local Communities’ Drinking Water.
- Public Health Issues for Local Indigenous Communities, including Cancer and Air-Pollution-related Respiratory Illnesses, which Increase the Risk of Getting and Dying from COVID-19.
- Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which will hurtle us to the Brink of Climate Disaster. Already the Extraction and Burning of Fossil Fuels on our Public lands accounts for nearly a Quarter of All U.S. Climate Emissions, which are Increasing under the Trump Administration.
We can’t let the Fossil Fuel Industry or the Trump Administration get away with this.
To make matters Worse, by Speeding Up Lease Sales during the Pandemic, the DOI is Cutting out Local Communities, who will be the most Impacted, from the Decision-Making Process.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) says that the Public must have enough Time to Analyze and Comment on these Projects in Detail. But under Current Stay-at-Home Orders, People have No choice but to Comment Online if they want to Speak Up in Opposition to the Proposed Lease Sales. This effectively Silences many People in the Rural West, particularly Indigenous Communities, who lack Broadband Internet Access. In fact, New Mexico ranks 49th among our 50 States in terms of Internet Access. In addition to Internet Issues, People are scrambling to figure out how to stay Healthy and Pay their Bills amidst Record Unemployment.
So Friends of the Earth Action is Fighting for a Moratorium on Fossil Fuel Leasing in Public Lands and Waters during the Pandemic. Earlier this month they had a Big Victory: A Federal Judge Voided over 285 Oil and Gas Leases on almost 150,000 acres of Land in Montana, because Trump's DOI Failed to Account for the Massive Environmental Impact of Drilling.
But NEPA, the Bedrock Environmental Law the Judge used to Hold the Trump Administration Accountable, is now under Threat. Trump is proposing Weakening NEPA to make it even Easier for the Fossil Fuel Industry to push through Projects without Completing a Thorough Environmental Review of their Impacts.
They just Released a New Report that reveals the extent of Big Oil’s Lobbying for Coronavirus Aid. A Review of over 130 Lobby Filings from the First Quarter of 2020 shows significant Lobbying for Tax Cuts, Royalty Relief, and Stimulus Aid. They’re trying to Snatch up more and more Taxpayer Money to Destroy our Planet. But Oil and Gas CEOs Don’t deserve a Bailout. Workers and Communities on the Frontlines of the Crisis do.
Unfortunately, their Lobbyists’ Tactics seem to be working, including by:
- Expediting the Process to further Subsidize Fossil Fuel Extraction on our Public Lands and Waters, by Waiving Royalty Fees for Oil Firms. Oil and Gas Companies are Normally Required to Pay Royalties owed to American Taxpayers, which provide Vital Resources for State Government Budgets. The DOI’s Plan to Reduce or Eliminate Royalties, at the Request of Big Oil & Gas, would Gut States’ Budgets, at a time when they desperately need more Support to provide Essential Services to Combat the Pandemic like Emergency Response, Education, and Worker Safety.
- Pushing to Stockpile Oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is especially Absurd given the Current Oil Glut.
- Getting over $100 billion in Tax Cuts, in addition to the Annual $16 billion in Direct Subsidies for Oil and Gas.
Friends of the Earth Action is Fighting to make sure that Struggling Americans, not Big Oil Executives, get Support during this Crisis. Right now. They are Supporting Legislation like the ReWIND Act, which would Prohibit the Use of COVID-19 Stimulus Funds to Bail Out the Fossil Fuel Industry, and would Halt Oil and Gas Leasing until after the Pandemic is over.
Friends of the Earth Action continues to Expose the Corruption of Interior Secretary, Bernhardt, who has Violated Ethics Rules by using his Position to Help his Former Fossil Fuel Industry Clients, including handing them Taxpayer Money during the Pandemic. And Pushing for Important Democratic Reforms to Stop Fossil Fuel Executives from Dictating Public Policy at Our Expense.
We Can’t let the Fossil Fuel Industry Drown Out the Grassroots Voices.
Don’t let the Fossil Fuel Industry and Trump’s Administration Plunder our Public Lands and Destroy Our Environment!
Use the above Link to Friends of the Earth Action to see How You Can Help.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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