Obama Plans to Undo Bush Rules on Oil Drilling on Public Lands, Among Others
He’ll reverse the Bush executive orders that opened public lands to oil drilling, the co-chair of his transition team said Sunday.
Podesta pointed to attempts by the Bush administration in its dying days to expose tracts of public land in the west to oil and gas drilling. The federal Bureau of Land Management is opening about 360,000 acres of public land in Utah to oil and gas drilling. “They want to have oil and gas drilling in some of the most sensitive, fragile lands in Utah. I think that’s a mistake,” Podesta said.
A team of about 50 Obama advisers have already been working for months identifying some 200 Bush policies as possible targets for reversal.
Obama has also indicated he intends to quickly reverse the Bush administration’s decision last December to deny California the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. A decision that seems to be in direct opposition to the Supreme Court ruling that CO2 should be regulated as a pollutant.
Of the major policy areas the Obama administration seeks to reform, changes in energy and the environmental policy may be the easiest to affect with executive power. In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel pointed out that of the four areas an Obama administration would seek to reform — financial regulation, tax, health care and energy — energy was one where “you can do some things immediately.”
The list of executive orders targeted by Obama’s team could grow in the coming days, as Bush’s appointees are fast-tracking a number of last-minute policies in an effort to extend his legacy. Other areas of action may include rule changes on stem cell research, reproductive rights, food and drug regulation and immigration enforcement.
Image: Library of Congress
Jacinda-
Unless the area around you is entirely made-up of the roadless areas which Bush opened for oil and gas exploration, your boyfriend and everyone you know is in no danger of losing their jobs working in the oil field.
I dont think that Obama should start trying to change the US drilling practices. There are thousands and even hundred of thousands maybe even millions of jobs at stake. If he were to discontinue the drilling in the US what is he prepared to do for those who loose good paying jobs that support many families and pay taxes on. Is he going to produce another job for those who loose it due to his mistake by cutting out the drilling in the US. I know fr a fact that he cannot and will not do this so therefore he isnt helping one person except himself look better in the enviormentalist eyes. If he knew one thing about drilling he would know everything used in the process come from the earth in the begining. He really needs to put mor infaces on drilling in the US and not support the other person unles he is ready to support those that will be mostly affected the US drilling program remember that is millions. He will need to have more that 700 billion bailout if he discontinue the drilling in the US. I have worked all my lif to get where I am and I sure dont want to set back and let Obama knock me down just because he wants to look good. Go figure that someone like that wanting to look good especially when he wasnt even born in the US.
The price of gas will be soon to go up to $4.00 per gallon again. If Obama stop drilling from the Federal Land, be sure we have enough alternative energy available without the people getting hurt from the price of gas just like last summer.
Omaba ahould be makeing all theres changes all at one time.. hes moving to fast with the tax on gas and bullets. so much for change hes makeing my life worse.. and i cant imagin how many other hunters or people hes screwing over…