On Tuesday, September 19, our Alliance’s own Barbara Vasquez testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources in Washington regarding the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)‘s new proposed leasing and bonding rule. She told lawmakers: “Look at it like this. If you were a landlord, would you rent a house or an apartment without a cleaning and damage deposit? Would you charge the same amount today that you charged in 1960? I don’t think so. This deposit ensures that you, the landlord, have funds to clean up any mess the tenant leaves behind when they move out. If it’s left in good condition, you don’t need to use that deposit. It’s just that simple.” 

The BLM stopped taking public comments on this rule on September 22. As we wait for the final rulemaking, if you would like to support the effort to make the oil and gas industry clean up their messes after themselves, please contact your Senator or Representative and urge them to support the quick passage of this rule!