WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that the Interior Department’s temporary policies limiting oil and gas drilling permits on public lands — which many had characterized as a ‘pause’ — would not be renewed.
In response, Food & Water Watch Policy Director Mitch Jones released the following statement:
“This news is unfortunate, if not unexpected. Joe Biden ran on a promise of stopping fracking and fossil fuel extraction on public lands; thus far, his orders have failed to live up that promise. Temporary pauses are not enough. Limiting those pauses to leases is not enough. Bending to the political pressure of the fossil fuel industry is unacceptable. We call on President Biden to keep his promise: a full and complete ban on fracking and fossil fuel extraction on public lands. Full stop. The climate crisis requires it and he promised it.”