11.24.21

LIVESTREAM NEXT WEEK: Emissions Impacts From Oil & Gas Leasing on Public Lands on Thursday

Washington, D.C. – The Natural Resources Committee is holding one livestreamed event next week.

Thursday, Dec. 2

Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, led by Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), will hold an oversight hearing titled What More Public Lands Leasing Means for Achieving U.S. Climate Targets.

Nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels extracted on America’s public lands and waters. Under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the primary federal agency responsible for managing fossil fuel development on public lands, oil and gas companies have already leased nearly 27 million acres of land. More than half of these leased acres are currently not being used, yet BLM is moving forward with another oil and gas lease sale in early 2022.

To reach the Biden administration’s climate targets, federal land management agencies, including BLM, must address fossil fuel development on public lands. Charting a course toward a more sustainable energy economy should include limiting the frequency and extent of leasing, holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their pollution impacts, and mitigating the impacts of pollution on communities where drilling occurs.

Witnesses

  • Carrie Hamblen, New Mexico State Senator (D), District 38 and CEO/President, Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
  • Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director, Western Environmental Law Center
  • Jade Begay, Climate Justice Campaign Director, NDN Collective and Member, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
  • Nick Loris, Vice President of Public Policy, C3 Solutions (minority witness)

When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

Watch Live: https://youtu.be/9FL0WZelnrI

Press Contact

Media Contact: David Shen

(202) 225-6065 or (202) 860-6494 mobile