Oil & Gas Development

BLM's Waste of Oil & Gas in Leasing has Sparked a Legal Challenge by MEIC

(February, 2011) Due to the deeply inadequate environmental reviews, MEIC has brought suit against the BLM. BLM's analysis is simply inadequate regarding the waste of oil and gas resources and the corresponding greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Read the news release.

MEIC & Partners Protest BLM Lease Sales

(November 2010) The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has moved forward on the sale of oil and gas leases despite serious objections based upon unresolved issues regarding climate change and wasteful oil and gas production. Read the official letter of protest [and supporting documents Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, and Exhibit 3] submitted by MEIC, Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project, and WildEarth Guardians. Read more.

Should the Federal Government let Oil and Gas Companies Steal from Taxpayers?

An inexcusable volume of gas is released into the atmosphere during production, which has negative consequences for our environment and taxpayers. Read MEIC's fact sheet on the unnecessary emissions and waste.

BACKGROUND:

Precedent-Setting Global Warming Agreement Approved between MEIC and the U.S. BLM

(March 2010) U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula has approved a landmark agreement between MEIC and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It requires the government to suspend 38,000 acres of oil and gas leases throughout Montana while it analyzes how oil field exploration, development, and production contribute to global warming.

oil rig MEIC and two other groups sued when the leases were sold in 2008, arguing that the industry’s activities are rife with waste and use inefficient technologies that could easily be improved.

[PHOTO: Drilling a well into the Bakken formation in Richland County. Photo by Don Thompson, from DNRC’s Montana Board of Oil and Gas website.}

At issue are the greenhouse gases emitted by drilling machinery, and industry practices such as venting unwanted natural gas directly into the atmosphere. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, oil and gas operations contribute about 23% of annual U.S. methane emissions and 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Under the settlement, BLM must suspend all 61 leases before the end of June 2010. The leases will then have to go through a new round of environmental review before the suspensions can be lifted.

An oil and gas industry group, the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, intervened in the case in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the leases valid. It contended that the emissions from oil and gas field operations are necessary to develop an important domestic resource. And it argued that natural gas usage is preferable to dirtier fuels such as coal in terms of climate change contributions.

BLM spokesman Greg Albright told The Washington Post that “reviewing lease sales for climate change will be a first for the agency. How it will be done is still being worked out, and it is unclear if the BLM will adopt such reviews as a standard requirement. This is really early, so I don’t know what the ramifications will be.”

He said that complicating the effort is the fact that the leases are scattered across several BLM districts in the state, each with different environmental policies under which land management decisions are made.

The organizations joining MEIC in the case were the Oil and Gas Accountability Project and Wild Earth Guardians. The groups were represented by the Western Environmental Law Center.

COURT DOCUMENTS

Settlement Agreement, MEIC, et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, et al. (Defendants) and Independent Petroleun Association of Mountain States (Defendant-Itervenors). Filed 3/12/2010.
First Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injuncitive Relief. Plaintiffs: MEIC, Oil & Gas Accountability Project (a project of EarthWorks), and Wild Earth Guardians. Filed 1/15/2009.
Court Order Approving Joint Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice. Filed 3/18/2010.
List of Suspended Leases

IN THE NEWS

BLM Sued - Again - Over Montana Oil and Gas Leases (Associated Press, Monday, February 7, 2011).
MEIC raises concerns over increased emissions and waste in gas development.
BLM lease sale protested over climate concerns (Matthew Brown, AP | November 23, 2010)
BLM Suspends Some Oil and Gas Lease Sales to Review Warming Impacts (by Noelle Straub, Greenwire, printed in The New York Times, April 9, 2010)

Oil and gas leases put on hold in Mont., Dakotas (by Matthew Brown, AP, posted April 9, 2010 in BusinessWeek.com)
Climate change cited as Montana oil & gas leases suspended (by Matthew Brown, AP, posted in washtingtonpost.com, March 18, 2010)

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	You are here: Home → Energy → Global Warming → Oil & Gas Development Document Actions Oil & Gas Development BLM's Waste of Oil & Gas in Leasing has Sparked a Legal Challenge by MEIC (February, 2011) Due to the deeply inadequate environmental reviews, MEIC has brought suit against the BLM. BLM's analysis is simply inadequate regarding the waste of oil and gas resources and the corresponding greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Read the news release. MEIC & Partners Protest BLM Lease Sales (November 2010) The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has moved forward on the sale of oil and gas leases despite serious objections based upon unresolved issues regarding climate change and wasteful oil and gas production. Read the official letter of protest [and supporting documents Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, and Exhibit 3] submitted by MEIC, Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project, and WildEarth Guardians. Read more. Should the Federal Government let Oil and Gas Companies Steal from Taxpayers? An inexcusable volume of gas is released into the atmosphere during production, which has negative consequences for our environment and taxpayers. Read MEIC's fact sheet on the unnecessary emissions and waste. BACKGROUND: Precedent-Setting Global Warming Agreement Approved between MEIC and the U.S. BLM (March 2010) U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula has approved a landmark agreement between MEIC and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It requires the government to suspend 38,000 acres of oil and gas leases throughout Montana while it analyzes how oil field exploration, development, and production contribute to global warming. MEIC and two other groups sued when the leases were sold in 2008, arguing that the industry’s activities are rife with waste and use inefficient technologies that could easily be improved. [PHOTO: Drilling a well into the Bakken formation in Richland County. Photo by Don Thompson, from DNRC’s Montana Board of Oil and Gas website.} At issue are the greenhouse gases emitted by drilling machinery, and industry practices such as venting unwanted natural gas directly into the atmosphere. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, oil and gas operations contribute about 23% of annual U.S. methane emissions and 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Under the settlement, BLM must suspend all 61 leases before the end of June 2010. The leases will then have to go through a new round of environmental review before the suspensions can be lifted. An oil and gas industry group, the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, intervened in the case in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the leases valid. It contended that the emissions from oil and gas field operations are necessary to develop an important domestic resource. And it argued that natural gas usage is preferable to dirtier fuels such as coal in terms of climate change contributions. BLM spokesman Greg Albright told The Washington Post that “reviewing lease sales for climate change will be a first for the agency. How it will be done is still being worked out, and it is unclear if the BLM will adopt such reviews as a standard requirement. This is really early, so I don’t know what the ramifications will be.” He said that complicating the effort is the fact that the leases are scattered across several BLM districts in the state, each with different environmental policies under which land management decisions are made. The organizations joining MEIC in the case were the Oil and Gas Accountability Project and Wild Earth Guardians. The groups were represented by the Western Environmental Law Center. COURT DOCUMENTS Settlement Agreement, MEIC, et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, et al. (Defendants) and Independent Petroleun Association of Mountain States (Defendant-Itervenors). Filed 3/12/2010. First Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injuncitive Relief. Plaintiffs: MEIC, Oil & Gas Accountability Project (a project of EarthWorks), and Wild Earth Guardians. Filed 1/15/2009. Court Order Approving Joint Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice. Filed 3/18/2010. List of Suspended Leases SEE ALSO: November 2010 Update: BLM kowtows to oil and gas industry BLM sticks its head in the sand over natural gas climate rules (August 2010) IN THE NEWS BLM Sued - Again - Over Montana Oil and Gas Leases (Associated Press, Monday, February 7, 2011). MEIC raises concerns over increased emissions and waste in gas development. BLM lease sale protested over climate concerns (Matthew Brown, AP \| November 23, 2010) BLM Suspends Some Oil and Gas Lease Sales to Review Warming Impacts (by Noelle Straub, Greenwire, printed in The New York Times, April 9, 2010) Oil and gas leases put on hold in Mont., Dakotas (by Matthew Brown, AP, posted April 9, 2010 in BusinessWeek.com) Climate change cited as Montana oil & gas leases suspended (by Matthew Brown, AP, posted in washtingtonpost.com, March 18, 2010) Montana Environmental Information Center Street Address: 107 W Lawrence St. #N-6, Helena, MT 59601 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1184 Helena, MT 59624 Phone: (406) 443-2520, Fax: (406) 443-2507, meic@meic.org	Stay Connected Facebook Twitter Blog YouTube

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