The GOAT: (Rob Inglis): "The administration hopes to change a number of administrative rules before it rides into the sunset, and none of these changes is going to make environmentalists happy. One of the first is today's issuing of final oil shale leasing regulations, which theoretically make it possible for oil shale leasing to take place on at least 2 million acres of land in the West. Obama will probably re-write these regulations after taking office. But rewriting federal rules takes time -- often several years -- so it's conceivable that the Interior Department could sell oil shale leases before Obama manages to put in place any new rules limiting or banning oil shale development."
More coverage from AP (Dan Elliott) via the Denver Post:
Colorado's governor and one of its senators pounced on the Bush administration Monday for what they called "reckless" and "flawed" new rules for commercial oil shale development. "I'm very disappointed that in the waning months of the Bush administration they felt the need to write the rules on commercial leasing," Ritter said in a conference call from Tokyo, where he's on an economic development trip. "It's not just premature, it's hasty and I would even argue reckless," said Ritter, a Democrat.
More coverage from the Natural Resources Defense Council:
The Bush administration announced another parting gift for Big Oil today in the form of new oil shale regulations. The Department of Interior released new draft regulations for a commercial oil shale industry on 2 million acres of public lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The leasing of land for oil shale has been heavily criticized by environmental groups due to concerns over significantly increased water usage, global warming emissions, and toxic waste.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"cc"
6:05:21 PM 
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