The Strategic Energy Production Act Hurts the Nation

In addition to dramatically weakening health safeguards from smog and other air pollution, the bill would significantly expand oil and natural gas drilling on public lands, reducing places for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other uses.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

On June 21 the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4480, the Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012. In addition to dramatically weakening health safeguards from smog and other air pollution, the bill would significantly expand oil and natural gas drilling on public lands, reducing places for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other uses.

Making matters worse, there is no guarantee that the oil and gas produced on these newly available publicly owned lands will benefit American families. Instead, big oil and gas companies could export these resources or refined products made from them. Americans would get the oil and gas pollution and higher prices while other nations benefit from the energy.

For more on this topic, please see:

Keeping New Publicly Owned Oil and Gas at Home by Matt Kasper and Daniel J. Weiss

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