“Alternative arrangements” cut the public out of oil and gas leasing

In response to the president’s “national energy emergency,” the Department of the Interior adopts “alternative arrangements” for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Under the new procedures, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just 14 days to complete environmental assessments — with no opportunity for the public to weigh in. For projects likely to have significant environmental impacts, the BLM has only 28 days to prepare an environmental impact statement, followed by a mere 10-day public comment period.