State Republican Congressman Paul Gosar has introduced a House resolution to roll back regulations on oil and gas drilling in national parks. Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports.
Gosar’s legislation would repeal rules in more than 40 national parks in six states. He says the regulations put into place in November by the Obama administration threaten jobs and more than 500 current oil-and-gas projects. The legislation doesn’t apply to any parks in Arizona, but would affect lands in New Mexico, Colorado and elsewhere.
The National Parks Conservation Association says Gosar’s resolution would weaken environmental protections. The group also worries it could open the door for expanded oil-and-gas operations on protected lands. It would apply to areas where the federal government doesn’t own subsurface mineral rights.
The congressman recently became the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
