Barrasso Questions DOI Secretary Zinke on Energy Permit Delays, Maintenance Backlog and Indian Education

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned Secretary of the Department of Interior (DOI) Ryan Zinke on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) oil and gas permitting backlog, DOI's deferred maintenance backlog, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Zinke testified on DOI's budget proposal at today's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

On BLM's Oil and Gas Permitting Backlog:

"You and I have spoken in the past about the Bureau of Land Management and the backlog of applications for permits to drill for oil and gas on federal land.

"We discussed that permitting delays vary among field offices, some of the offices are having much more substantial backlogs than others.

"Oil and gas permitting delays directly threaten our energy security, and they threaten American jobs, and economic stability in small communities.

"The department's budget proposal includes a $16 million increase for the BLM program that is responsible for processing oil and gas drilling permits.

"The budget proposal states that this funding increase will: "help ensure BLM has sufficient administrative and staff capacity to quickly process applications for permits to drill.'

"I am encouraged by your proposal.

"The BLM needs to have the necessary resources at its disposal to process the oil and gas permits in a timely manner.

"We must ensure that it allocates its resources to the field offices greatest in need, such as the field office we certainly have in Casper, Wyoming.

"What steps are you going to take to ensure that the BLM field offices have the resources they need to relieve some of these significant backlogs of the permits for application?

Click here for video of Sen. Barrasso questioning Sec. Zinke on BLM's Oil and Gas Permitting Backlog

On DOI's Deferred Maintenance Backlog:

"The department is facing several billion-dollar issues which are going to require prioritization and management well into the future, beyond just the upcoming fiscal year.

"Issues like wild horse and burro management, wildfire funding, which you described in your opening statement as a billion-dollar problem, deferred maintenance cost the department billions--and they're not going to be solved overnight.

"This is not just a budget problem, this is a proposal for one year that you're talking about today. To what extent are you examining the long-term needs and the issues that are going to require multi-year planning, like the National Park Service's deferred maintenance backlog?

Click here for video of Sen. Barrasso questioning Sec. Zinke on On DOI's Deferred Maintenance Backlog

On the Bureau of Indian Education:

"And my final question refers to the Bureau of Indian Education.

"You made some comments about it earlier to one of the other questions about that we have failed, something is not right. Committed to making sure that the education is there.

"As we go forward, I hope that you continue to work closely with tribes, with the Bureau of Indian Education, and Congress to make sure that money is used most effectively because as you say, there is a lot of room for improvement."

Click here for video of Sen. Barrasso questioning Sec. Zinke on the Bureau of Indian Education

Source