Isn't Water A Natural Resource?

By Lynn Thorp, National Campaigns Director

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Clean Water Action signed a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee opposing yet another anti-regulatory bill expected to be considered by the Committee today. We’ve signed a lot of these letters since 2010, but this one is particularly important. The “Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act” could deal a sprawling and damaging blow to our ability to protect our public lands from negative impacts of oil and gas extraction.  The bill is obviously an attempt to undercut the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) new proposed regulations to offer our federal lands a modicum of protections. You can read the letter from 22 organizations here. I’m struck by the frenzy to leave all oversight of oil and gas activities to the states.  The reason the Clean Water Act passed in 1972 with broad bi-partisan support was that our policymakers recognized that some jobs won’t get done unless we have a unified federal program. Back then, a patchwork of state laws was not protecting our water. The success of the landmark Clean Water Act is a testament to the need for federal protections. Our public lands deserve the same type of unified, national protections from the impacts of oil and gas extraction. Though the oil and gas industry has managed to wiggle out from under many federal programs, they are no different than any other industry. They don’t deserve special treatment.  Activities that threaten to cause water pollution and other damage on our public lands need federal oversight from BLM. In fact, BLM’s  current “re-proposal” (which this House bill is seeking to circumvent) isn’t all that great. It needs to be stronger and the House needs to back off.  You can learn more and take action here. Putting all oversight of hydraulic fracturing and other oil and gas drilling and extraction activities on our public lands in the hands of the states will not ensure protection. It will put drinking water sources and other resources at risk and flies in the face of what we know about the value of federal health and environmental protections (hint: they work!).  Instead of giving the oil and gas industry another hand out, the House Natural Resources Committee should be focusing their efforts on better protecting natural resources like water.  They shouldn’t waste their time on this. Check back for updates and make sure to take action to support a strong BLM program to protect our public land.