Department of Interior

  • The leak started 30 days ago, oil as thick as paint is washing up on the shores of Louisiana and there are plumes of oil deep underwater poisoning the ocean and threatening the Florida Keys and the east coast.  There have been many attempts to stop the leak and it appears that it won’t be…

  • Chris Oynes will step down Interior official who oversees offshore drilling for MMS resigns. Washington Post

  • Administration brushed aside the warnings- “National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration officials last fall warned the Department of Interior, which regulates offshore oil drilling, that it was dramatically underestimating the frequency of offshore oil spills and was dangerously understating the risk and impacts a major spill would have on coastal residents.” Story in the Huffington Post.…

  • Interior Secretary Ken Salazar may leave his post to run for Colorado Governor’s post Salazar gets White House OK for run By Michael Riley The Denver Post

  • New rules will supposedly still protect eagles- I also read the actual new regulations. One thing I didn’t know is that while bald eagle populations continue to grow, golden eagles might be in decline. Interior Releases New Rules for Disturbances to Bald and Golden Eagles. By Allison Winter. New York Times.

  • Some concessions to Robert Bennett (R-Utah) on oil and gas leases was needed- Here is the story. Senate GOP releases hold on Interior nominee. Politico. Salazar probably had to agree to look into offering tghe oil and gas leases next to the national parks that the courts and he had killed. Grrrrr. The New York…

  • Despite nominations by the President, only Ken Salazar has been approved by the U.S. Senate- One reason we haven’t seen much change in the B.L.M., National Park Service, etc. is that Senate Republicans are holding up action on the nominations. Interior staff’s top seats in limbo. Politics » Hatch and Bennett oppose nominee, adding to…

  • Salazar fills most Interior slots with fellow Coloradoans- His predecessor, Dirk Kempthorne, former Idaho governor, filled DOI with Idaho people, most of them long time foes of conservation, with scores to settle with Idaho conservationists. Secretary Salazar’s people certainly have a different policy perspective, but almost all are coming from just one state — not…

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