Oil Company Leases: “Use It Or Lose It”

That’s the name of a bill that the House voted on last week. The official name is the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act — H.R. 6251.

Either the “media” has been awfully quiet about this bill, or I’ve just looked in all the wrong places; and I read several news sites regularly. The only mention I ever saw was in our small-town paper. Once a week they list the major bills wending their way through Congress.

Last week they listed the “Use It Or Lose It” law — it got a majority of votes in the House. The rest of the “media” was dead silent about it, so I did a Google News search. Yes, it did get a majority of votes.

Unfortunately, it was a piece of emergency legislation so it needed a two thirds vote to become law. Without a two thirds vote, it was doomed in any case, since the Oil King was planning to veto it.

Basically this law, as the name indicates, would have told the oil companies to fuckin’ USE the leases they already have before they start tearing up oceans and wildlife sanctuaries. Who could possibly be against this???

You’d think the people who are screaming the loudest about drilling in wildlife refuges — NOW! — would be the most infuriated that the oil companies are not using the leases they already have. HELLLOOO!!!!

As we speak, the oil companies have leases on seventy million acres of federal lands, which they are NOT using. Again, that number is seventy million acres. This is land where the oil companies could have already been drilling!

Apparently there are a lot of people with a very limited intellect who think this is just fine. Oh, the oil companies are just sitting on seventy million acres that they’re already leasing? Huh. OK. But meanwhile, the only solution to the energy crisis is to Drill! Everywhere! Now! We don’t need no steenking endangered species! Get that oil! NOW!

This law would have required the oil companies to either use this land that they’ve already leased — what the fuck did these assholes lease it for if they weren’t planning to drill on it?!?!? — or give up the leases. And they wouldn’t be allowed to seek any new leases (i.e. offshore drilling, ANWR) until they’ve exhausted the leases they already have.

DUUUHHH!!! Talk about a No-Fuckin'-Brainer!

Let’s see, I have several dogs that I just can’t seem to take care of. They’re starving because I keep forgetting to feed them, some of them are sick because I can't be bothered to take them to the vet, and they shit all over the house because I can’t remember to let them out. And I don't have time to clean up after them. I know — I’ll go out and buy a few more dogs.

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) is one of the co-sponsors of the “Use It Or Lose It” bill. He said:

“When we sit atop only 2 percent of the world’s oil supply, but consume a quarter of the world’s supply, it’s clear we can’t drill our way out of the fuel crisis. However, we can encourage drilling on the land we’ve already leased to oil companies, much of which they aren’t currently using. There is no reason to expand drilling to new areas – areas that could suffer devastating environmental consequences – when oil companies aren’t using the land they have.”

Bingo!

Congress might vote again on “Use It Or Lose It” when they return from their July 4th recess. Good luck.

cross-posted at Bring It On!