US to speed up review of gas leasing applications

The United States will cut in half the time it takes to review applications for oil and gas development leases on federal lands. The review period will be reduced to six months. This announcement was made on Tuesday by the Department of the Interior (DOI).

Reuters reports that simplifying the process of leasing sites aligns with President Donald Trump's program of US energy dominance. Trump's actions aim to increase domestic fossil fuel supplies, reduce prices, and strengthen national energy security. According to DOI representatives, the initiative is also designed to create new jobs.

Once the changes take effect, assessments of whether oil and gas leases are consistent with regional land use plans will be conducted simultaneously with environmental reviews mandated by Congress. This was announced by the US DOI's Bureau of Land Management.

However, the expedited permitting process for energy resources use on federal lands has raised concerns among environmental groups.