October 26, 2015

The National Park Service (NPS) has proposed a rule giving the agency greater oversight over the exercise of non-federal oil and gas rights on NPS land. Currently, private oil and gas production is allowed on NPS land in cases where the previous private land owner still owns the subsurface mineral rights. The new rule would give NPS more oversight over those operations.

The rule would allow the NPS to set higher financial assurance levels for oil and gas operators to fund reclamation efforts if an operator becomes insolvent or defaults, and would implement a permitting process for entities that extract resources from locations adjacent to, but not within, a national park.

The NPS has performed a cost-benefit analysis and released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement pertaining to the rule. The NPS is accepting public comments on the rule until December 28, 2015.

Sources: Federal Register, eenews, nps.gov