Group says US energy panel stacked with industry supporters
Source: Associated Press
Matthew Brown, Associated Press
Updated 3:45 pm CDT, Tuesday, August 7, 2018
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Conservationists on Tuesday claimed a Trump administration committee that's been reviewing royalties paid by companies that extract fossil fuels from public lands is stacked with industry supporters who conduct some meetings in secret.
The Western Organization of Resource Council asked a federal judge in Montana to disband the U.S. Interior Department's Royalty Policy Committee and strike down its recommendations.
The 20-person panel — comprised of representatives from industry, state government, tribes and academia — was established last year by U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
It's supposed to find ways to remove barriers to drilling and mining, while making sure taxpayers aren't shortchanged by energy companies. Zinke in April rejected the committee's recommendation to lower royalty rates for offshore drilling.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Group-says-US-energy-panel-stacked-with-industry-13138557.php
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