Pearce introduces bills to facilitate federal onshore permitting

US Rep. Steve Pearce introduced a pair of bills on June 14 that aim to reduce delays and other obstacles in the federal onshore oil and gas leasing process. HR 6016 would authorize additional categorical exclusions to streamline permitting decisions. HR 6107 would order that the US Bureau of Land Management not require permits on nonfederal land to reach subsurface deposits that are less than 50% federally owned.