NRDC Statement on New Rules for Fracking on Federal Lands

WASHINGTON (March 20, 2015) – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management today released its final rules that will apply to fracking on federal and tribal lands.

The rules will apply to more than 750 million acres of public and tribal lands across the United States, an area more than seven times the size of California. These places are home to our nation’s last wild places, and provide drinking water for tens of millions of Americans—from large municipal supplies like Denver’s, to private wells. 

A statement follows from Amy Mall, senior fracking policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“These rules put the interests of big oil and gas above people’s health, and America’s natural heritage. The bottom line is: these rules fail to protect the nation's public lands—home to our last wild places, and sources of drinking water for millions of people—from the risks of fracking. More than ever, this underscores the urgent need to get better protections in place around the country—at the local, state and federal levels.”