Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday introduced legislation to overturn the natural gas and oil reforms introduced on Monday by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Sens. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and John Barrasso (R-WY) said the American Energy and Western Jobs Act would eliminate the “bureaucratic red tape and increased delays” that would result from the reforms. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) cosponsored the legislation.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday the final rules would improve environmental protection of natural resources on U.S. public lands and aid in the “orderly leasing and balanced development” of energy supplies” (see Daily GPI, May 18).

“Today we are raising a red flag that this administration is blindly driving our nation’s federal onshore oil and natural gas program into a ditch,” said Bennett.

Under the bill, the Department of the Interior would be required to conduct an economic impact assessment for any proposed changes to onshore oil and natural gas leasing and development policies before they are implemented. The assessment would have to include certification that the policy changes would not result in the loss of jobs, increase dependence on foreign oil and gas or decrease revenues for federal and state governments.

The legislation also requires public notice and comment on the proposed changes.

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