Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of the Interior announced it would revoke 18 federal rules overseeing geothermal energy projects and mineral mining on public lands and wilderness areas.
Notably, the announcement included no indication the department would initiate a comment period before scrapping the rules. Public comment periods are incredibly common for proposed rule changes and are critical for including input from citizens in the development of federal policy.
In general, the recissions appear to curtail federal oversight of geothermal operators and mining companies, making it easier to pursue industrial development on potentially undisturbed sites. The move also advances the Trump administration’s goal of fast-tracking corporate extraction, like drilling, mining, and logging, on public lands.
In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:
“Cutting the public out of a major policy change is a sign the policy isn’t good for the public. Rather than give the American people a chance to check their work, the Trump administration is forcing through changes that make it easier for corporate polluters to profit off the public lands that are held in trust for the American people. It’s just one more indication that Donald Trump and his cabinet will stop at nothing to sell out our public lands to their billionaire buddies.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.