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Restore Balance on Our Public Lands!

Picture of Oil RefineryNext week your representative will consider important energy legislation that, among other things, provides a better balance between oil and gas development, protecting wildlife habitat, and ensuring recreational opportunities on Western public lands.

Among the bills to be considered as part of Speaker Pelosi’s Energy Independence Package is the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2337) which contains a number of vital reforms to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. H.R. 2337 contains several innovative provisions that will help get America on the road to a sustainable energy future and to start taking the impacts of global warming seriously when it comes to our coasts, public lands, and wildlife. 

Please take a moment to tell your member of Congress to stand up for a new energy future and put an end to harmful oil and gas development on our pristine Western public lands!

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Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please Support the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to request that you support Speaker Pelosi's energy independence package, and in particular the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2337) that you will soon consider on the House floor.

Title I and II of H.R. 2337 is vital to restoring balance to energy development on our Western public lands and will better protect the West's precious ground water and wildlife from the potential damage caused by oil and gas activities.

Besides containing commonsense reforms of the federal government's oil and gas programs, H.R. 2377 has some innovative provisions to help get America on the path toward a sustainable energy future, and to start taking global warming impacts seriously when it comes to our coasts, public lands and wildlife.

Please OPPOSE any efforts to strike these reforms (Title I and II) from the energy package.

I urge you to further strengthen the energy independence package through the addition of two very important energy policies that will reduce global warming pollution and save oil.

Please SUPPORT the Udall-Platts amendment to require our utilities to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and the Markey-Platts amendment to increase the combined fuel economy standards of our automobile fleet to 35 mpg over the next ten years.

Thank you for considering my views on these important energy issues you will soon consider on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 23, 2007


Background Information

 Earthjustice At Work

Picture of a Coal Plant

Earthjustice has long  been working to ensure the protection of public lands and clean responsible energy use.  Click below to learn more about our work:

- Teshekpuk Lake in Alaska contains the most productive and diverse ecosystem in the American Arctic. See how we are fighting to protect this pristine land from oil and gas development. 

- The Rocky Mountains are being threatened by rampant oil and gas drilling across the region.  Learn how we fighting for this rugged landscape with its rushing rivers and pristine wildlife.

- In the US, the transportation sector is responsible for about a third of our greenhouse gas emissions.  Earthjustice has been working to ensure that the EPA regulate greenhouse gas emissions from our automobiles.

- Earthjustice has also been working to stop the rush to build new coal plants across the country to combat global warming and help foster the development of clean renewable energy.

- At Earthjustice’s urging, the Florida Public Service Commission refused to approve a permit for a huge new coal-fired power plant near the Everglades. Click here to learn more.

Next week, the full U.S. House will be considering a number of energy bills that have been passed out of several House Committees over the past couple months.  Among the bills to be considered as part of Speaker Pelosi’s energy independence package is the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2337). 

It contains a number of common sense reforms of the federal government’s oil and gas programs, as well as some innovative provisions to help get America on the path toward a sustainable energy future, and to start taking global warming impacts seriously when it comes to our coasts, public lands and wildlife.

Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) not only is able to issue permits for oil and gas development on public lands at an alarming rate, but has been able to use funding that could otherwise be going to state governments to help restore wildlife habitats impacted by drilling. 

Instead the BLM has been using this funding to issue more drilling permits.  The harmful effects of such rapid development on our public lands continue to be overlooked.

Title I and II of the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act contains reforms to the BLM’s onshore oil and gas program which will level out the imbalances in current policies.

Title I and II will ensure the protection of our Western lands by:

  • Slowing the BLM’s permit process down by encouraging a more careful and thorough review before issuing permits.  This longer time period would allow for a better understanding of the effects drilling would have on resources and habitats and also allow the public to have a greater say in what happens on these lands.
  • Guaranteeing further protections for the environment while still allowing for energy development to take place.  One section ensures that the presence of endangered species, important cultural sites, or Indian sacred sites, are not put at risk.
  • Instituting a number of important reforms regarding landowner protection and water resource protection. The oil and gas companies would have to notify landowners in advance of any operations on or near their property and they would also have to make a concerted effort to obtain a written agreement from the landowner to allow drilling on their land.
  • Guaranteeing that full reclamation of disturbed lands takes place and that taxpayers are not forced to pay millions of dollars in clean-up costs.  

In comparison to the EPAct 2005, the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act will provide for better protection of the West’s precious groundwater and wildlife from potential damage caused by extensive oil and gas activities.

The Energy Independence Package, which is a serious attempt to shift U.S energy policy to focus more on energy efficiency and clean renewable energy sources can be improved by adding two very important energy policies to the bill. 

  • The first is to create a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that would require utilities to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, by 2020.  Representatives Tom Udall (D-MN) and Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced a 20 percent RES bill in the House earlier this year (H.R. 969) and are expected to offer a similar amendment to the Energy Independence Package on the House floor. 
  • The second, would be to require that the fuel efficiency of our automobiles is increased to at least a 35 miles-per-gallon (mpg) combined fleet-wide standard within ten years.  Representatives Ed Markey (D-MA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced the Fuel Economy Reform Act (H.R. 1506) earlier this year and are expected to try to offer similar amendment on the House floor next week.

Picture of a CanyonlandsWhat can you do:

Tell Congress to support the common sense reforms in Title I and II of the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act! Along with a strong RES and fuel efficient standards for automobiles, we can have a forward-looking energy policy for the U.S that helps combat global warming and protects sensitive public lands.