Key Facts

• The Trump administration wants to cut public comment periods on fossil fuel leasing from about 90 days to just 10 days.
• Currently, there are multiple stages where the public can give input, including 30 days before lease sales and a 30-day protest period.
• The new rules would remove early public input stages and shorten the protest period, limiting people’s ability to raise environmental concerns.
• Companies would pay lower fees for future cleanup costs related to drilling on federal lands.
• The proposal could let companies release more methane, a gas that traps heat and causes global warming.
• The Bureau of Land Management would no longer have to assess if leasing land conflicts with wildlife habitat and other resources.
• Interior Department officials say the changes will speed up energy development and reduce regulatory delays.
• Environmental groups warn that cutting public input will undermine good decision-making and could increase conflicts and costs over time.