GAO report says BLM often misunderstood, violated law in approving oil, gas drilling

GAO says drilling policy caused BLM confusion

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Government Accountability Office says the U.S. Bureau of Land Management frequently misinterpreted and violated a federal law that sought to expedite oil and gas drilling.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established new circumstances in which detailed environmental review isn’t required for new oil and gas wells. Such exceptions are called “categorical exclusions.”

A GAO report released Wednesday says the BLM approved categorical exclusions in more than a quarter of all drilling permits issued between 2006 and 2008. The report documents numerous ways in which several BLM field offices in primarily Western states violated the 2005 law.

The report cites concern that categorical exclusions led to more drilling than would have been allowed otherwise.