Bill would ban drilling on Roan
2007-08-01
Source: The Daily Sentinel
A new energy bill before Congress includes a provision banning energy development on public lands atop the Roan Plateau.
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rss feedReps. John Salazar and Mark Udall, both Colorado Democrats, added the provision Monday to the pending Energy Independence Act of 2007.
"We can still have the public lands leased, but the minerals can be accessed only from other locations," Udall said Tuesday. "It means we’re not going to disturb those public lands on the surface of the plateau."
Specifically, the provision would prohibit any "surface occupancy" for oil and gas exploration and development on the Roan Plateau, requiring energy companies to directionally drill from adjacent private land if they want to access the natural gas beneath the plateau.
That way, the Bureau of Land Management will receive the royalty and bonus bids from energy development and give industry the chance to exploit the Roan Plateau's minerals, according to a Salazar news release.
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