Oil and gas resources on the public lands are developed in a manner that considers other values and uses of the land and protects the environment. The environmental review process for developing oil and gas resources is multi-faceted and includes input and coordination with other federal and state agencies, as well as the public.

Through the planning process BLM determines what lands will be available for oil and gas leasing, what lease stipulations will be applied to lease parcels prior to leasing to protect other resource values and what “conditions of approval” will be placed on the applications for permit to drill (APDs) to add additional resource protection.  The land use planning process, mandated under the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA), requires extensive collaboration with local, State and Tribal governments, the general public, local user groups and various industries on how the federal lands will be used. 

New oil and gas operations using best management practices typically use less than 5 % of the surface area.  This leaves the remaining land open for other uses.  After oil and gas development is complete, BLM requires reclamation of the land to return all land to multiple-use. Less than one percent of the total acreage managed by the BLM experiences surface disturbance from oil and gas activity.

How does the BLM mitigate the surface impacts of oil and gas development?

All leases come with stipulations (general requirements) on oil and gas activities to protect the environment; stipulations can also include specific restrictions, such as limits on seasons when drilling can occur and restrictions on surface occupancy by oil and gas operators. 

Once an operator proposes exploration or development on a BLM-issued lease, the Bureau carries out further environmental analysis under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and determines the site-specific need for various types of impact-limiting or "mitigation" measures.  These measures  include revegetation, which controls soil erosion and helps curb the spread of weeds; the strategic placement of above-ground structures and machinery, with colors that blend in with the landscape, so as to reduce visual impacts; the establishment of any necessary buffer zones so that oil and gas activity does not adversely affect certain types of wildlife habitat; and the burying of powerlines or pipelines under or adjacent to access roads to protect wildlife and minimize visual impacts.  In addition, many operators routinely use Best Management Practices -- such as remote sensing to monitor well production, which minimizes surface impacts – in conducting their oil and gas activities.

What laws govern oil and gas operations on the public lands?
The primary laws that apply to oil and gas leasing on BLM-managed lands include the following. 
• Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
• Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act and several site-specific acts
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• National Historic Preservation Act
• Antiquities Act
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Endangered Species Act

What is the specific process by which the BLM employs these mitigating measures to ensure compliance with environmental standards in the oil and gas leasing process?

Leasing decisions are analyzed thoroughly in the course of preparing the Land Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which addresses the cumulative impacts of leasing, exploration, and development.  These EISs include: a reasonably foreseeable development scenario for long-term oil and gas development (for example, an estimate of the number of oil and gas wells that might be drilled); a cumulative impact analysis of existing and anticipated oil and gas activity; and lease stipulations that will be attached to each lease to ensure environmental protection.

Then a second level of environmental analysis is conducted at the APD stage for each new oil and gas well.  These analyses include:
— Site-specific mitigation (environmental protection) measures in the form of “conditions of approval” that are attached to every single permit without exception.  These are protection measures in addition to lease stipulations.
— A finding of “significant” or “no significant” impact for each action and/or permit.
— Consultation with other federal regulatory agencies in accordance with other statutes (e.g., Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act) (NHPA §106) (CWA §404).
— Public notification and/or review.
— Coordination with appropriate local, state, and Federal agencies.

The final result of this multi-layered environmental review is a series of stipulations, conditions of approval, or industry proposals that provide for environmental protection.