Commentary: Washington, DC -- This morning, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announcedthat it will suspend key parts of a rule designed to limit methane pollution from oil and gas operations on public lands. Previously, Congressional Republicans attempted to undo this rule using the Congressional Review Act, but their efforts were thwarted when Senators Collins, Graham, and McCain joined Senate Democrats in voting to preserve this standard.
Lena Moffitt, Senior Director of the Sierra Club's Our Wild America Campaign, released the following statement in response:
“Once again, Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are showing where their priorities lie: the profits of corporate polluters above all else, including the health of our communities.
“BLM’s methane rule would protect our public lands and communities, and it has already withstood legal challenges and an attempted repeal in Congress. Working behind closed doors to undermine these commonsense protections is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who support them, and to the many communities who will breathe polluted air as a result.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visithttp://www.sierraclub.org.