Haaland on drilling lease moratorium: 'It's not going to be a permanent thing'
Source: The Hill
Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland said on Wednesday that President Biden’s pause on new oil and gas leasing is a temporary measure and won't be a "permanent thing."
“This pause...it’s just that, it’s a pause, it’s not going to be a permanent thing where we’re saying we’re restricting all these lands from something,” Haaland said in response to a question on the moratorium from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
The White House last month put a temporary pause without a set end date on granting new leases for publicly owned lands and waters for oil and gas drilling.
The Interior Department has continued to issue new permits on public lands that are already leased, though it instituted a temporary elevated review process, and it has also not stopped current drilling activity.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/540305-haaland-on-drilling-lease-moratorium-its-not-going-to-be-a