Salazar Outlines Reforms To Federal Leasing System

The US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has outlined changes to the onshore oil and gas leasing system for federal lands. The reforms will clarify and tighten the existing regulatory system for allocating drilling permits on federal land, while also providing more consistency and a higher level of public engagement to the leasing process. Salazar's proposals have come under fire from industry bodies such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), which have claimed that a stricter regulatory system will slow down development of US domestic oil and gas resources and increase costs for explorers.

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