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Sandhill cranes at the Bitter Lak wildlife refuge in New Mexico.
Numerous spills prompt call for more stringent guidelines, including better training for staff
By Summit Voice
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service needs rules to protect National Wildlife Refuges from spills and contamination from oil and gas drilling, according to a rulemaking petition filed this week by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a Washington, D.C. group that watchdogs federal agencies.
According to PEER, thousands of wells now operate on refuges, particularly in the south and east where the subsurface rights are privately held, with little regulation. That number is likely to skyrocket as natural gas from underground shale formations is tapped.
PEER is pressing the Fish & Wildlife Service, which operates the refuge system, to adopt rules modeled on ones the National Park Service has had in effect for more than 30 years. The rules address spill prevention and response, bonds for reclamation, proper waste disposal and reducing surface impacts. (more…)
Filed under: biodiversity, Colorado, energy, Environment, federal government, gas drilling, oil drilling, public lands | Tagged: Government Accountability Office, National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge System, PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Summit County News, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service | Leave a Comment »
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