skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Outdoor Rec Industry Concerned Over Future of Methane Rule

play audio
Play

Friday, November 10, 2017   

MOAB, Utah – Public-lands advocates are keeping a close eye on U.S. Interior Secretary and former Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke on this Veterans Day. The DOI closed public comments this week on a proposal to suspend an Obama-era rule to limit natural gas waste on federal lands.

Ashley Korenblat, CEO of Western Spirit Cycling in Moab, says in addition to saving important natural resources, limiting methane emissions is an important branding priority for the outdoor recreation industry.

"Nobody wants to exercise in a place with bad air," she says. "And as recreation continues to bring growing and steady revenue flows to communities near public lands across the country, the methane rule becomes more and more important."

Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, joined 80 House Democrats in a letter asking Zinke to implement and enforce the BLM's methane rule, and to extend the public comment period by another 30 days. While many oil and gas operators have been proactive in preventing waste, some industry groups have come out against the rule, claiming it slows production by adding unnecessary red tape.

Conservation groups estimate that U.S. taxpayers stand to lose more than $800 million in unpaid gas royalties over the next decade due to losses from leaks, venting and flaring.

Korenblat says the rule is a 'win-win' for people who advocate multiple uses of public lands, because when operators capture lost gas, they can bring it to market.

"There really is an opportunity to bring the operator more money, the government more money, (and) more money to the owners of the land - which is all Americans," she explains.

Oil and gas groups filed suit after the Methane Waste Prevention Rule was adopted in November of 2016, claiming the BLM over-reached its authority and that regulating emissions is the EPA's job. The Obama administration defended the rule, and said it was designed to limit the waste of taxpayer-owned resources on public land.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021