Washington – The Interior Department’s internal watchdog office will investigate whether a lobbyist was able to “fix” U.S. Bureau of Land Management plans to allow more oil and gas drilling in Utah.
Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., requested the investigation by Interior’s inspector general last month after environmental groups released a leaked e-mail from from Robert K. Weidner, a lobbyist for several Utah counties.
The memo reported on a July meeting attended by county commissioners and oil companies. It said that said the acting Utah director of the BLM – the Interior agency that oversees much of the West’s public land – and a top national BLM official promised changes in the agency’s plans “which will promote economic growth and reduce restrictions on access to the public lands.”
Weidner told his clients that the opportunity to “fix” the plans “may never come again.”
The e-mail’s release came shortly after a federal judge in Utah ruled that BLM had wrongly taken shortcuts to get around environmental laws and speed energy development in potential wilderness areas.
Hinchey said the inspector general’s decision to investigate shows his charges have merit.
“BLM officials appear to have acted against the best interests of the American people and the environment in order to expedite plans that would advance the oil and gas industry in Utah,” Hinchey said.
The BLM issued a statement rejecting Hinchey’s allegations, saying the meeting was a legitimate consultation between the agency and local officials who were part of the planning process.
“Any characterizations contained in a Utah lobbyist’s memo about this meeting that suggest anything other than an above- board listening session are erroneous,” the agency statement said.
Weidner said his comments have been blown out of proportion, and welcomed the investigation as a chance to prove there was no attempt to rig the plans.
“I think the reason the inspector general has agreed to investigate is my inarticulate use of word ‘fix,”‘ Weidner said. “When I grew up, ‘fix’ meant repair.”
Also Wednesday, environmental groups released a report questioning BLM’s assurances that it can protect fragile desert habitat in southern New Mexico’s Otero Mesa from the impact of oil and gas drilling.
“Some places should not be drilled, and Otero Mesa is one of those places,” said Nada Culver of the Wilderness Society, co-author of the report.
The state of New Mexico and environmental groups have filed suit challenging the BLM’s plan to allow drilling. BLM officials in New Mexico said the report contained sensationalist criticisms they’ve rejected before.
“Our plan is very restrictive,” said BLM spokesman Hans Stuart. “It will protect the grasslands and wildlife on Otero Mesa.”
Staff writer Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-662-8730 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
