Groups file lawsuit to force US Interior Department to be transparent about lack of climate action
Freedom of Information Act lawsuits filed by Home Office agencies for not responding to requests for records
GREAT, MONTANA–Climate and conservation group to sue The U.S. Department of the Interior late Friday for failing to release public records, including documents behind the development of a federal oil and gas lease report, related to the President’s 2021 executive order. Biden aims to tackle climate change.
Barbara Chillcott, senior attorney at the Center for Western Environmental Law, said: “President Biden’s executive order directs the Interior to complete a ‘comprehensive review and review’ of the associated oil and gas leasing program. state for its significant contribution to the climate crisis.” “The Interior report merely discusses royalty rates, minimum bids, and link rates. People deserve it. know why their president, who has campaigned vigorously for climate action, has “comprehensively” failed to deliver on these promises.Moreover, we deserve to know if the president has are using our climate future as a political bargaining chip.”
The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court in Montana by the Western Environmental Law Center on behalf of the Montana Center for Environmental Information, the Center for Biodiversity, and the WildEarth Defenders. It sought drafts of the November 2021 report, including the version forwarded to the White House and all internal communications about the development of the report.
In December, groups submitted applications request profile with the Department of the Interior under the Freedom of Information Act. By law, federal agencies must respond to FOIA requests within 20 business days and promptly provide a response. More than three months after the request was filed, three of the four Home Affairs agencies requested by FOIA did not respond or provide a record of response. The Oceanic Energy Administration partially responded but withheld more than 75% of the response documents.
“Biden’s pernicious failure to address climate during his review of federal oil and gas programs has been made worse by the agency,” said Taylor McKinnon at the Center for Biodiversity. His agency refuses to release the records publicly.” “We are in a climate emergency, and people deserve to know why his promise to end oil and gas leases turned into lube propaganda. Withholding these records certainly makes it seem like there’s something to hide about how this disappointing report came together. “
Days after taking office, President Biden signed a executive order command The Interior completed a “comprehensive review and review of Federal oil and gas leasing and permitting practices” and resolved “Potential climate and other impacts associated with oil and gas activities on public lands or in offshore waters.” The order directs the Interior to take “appropriate action” to address the climate costs of federally approved fossil fuel production.
In November 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issue a report in response to Biden’s executive order. Contrary to the order, the report does not address “potential climate and other impacts associated with oil and gas activities” and does not recommend any action to account for the climate costs of fuel production. federally approved fossil record. The report, released the Friday after Thanksgiving, only mentioned the word “climate” three times.
Anne Hedges told Montana Environmental Information Center. “It’s hard to take them seriously as they continue to hide their reasons for evading commitments to tackle the climate crisis.”
Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued the long-awaited FOIA tutorial to federal agencies with a reminder that “fair and effective administration of FOIA requires openness that will prevail in the face of doubt.”
The lawsuit happened when the Home Office announced the plan restarting federal oil and gas leasing. This will limit more oil and gas extraction and more climate pollution at a time when scientists worldwide recognize that global fossil fuel production must start rejecting immediately to avoid overheating for a long time.
“It is inexcusable that the Biden administration is not only actively undermining climate action but also resisting transparency in the process,” said Jeremy Nichols, director of the climate and energy program at WildEarth Guardians. this. “It’s time to end this cover-up and hold President Biden and his Interior Department accountable for real action to confront the climate crisis.”
Contact:
Barbara Chillcott, Western Environmental Law Center, (406) 430-3023, chillco[email protected]
Taylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity, (801) 300-2414, [email protected]
Jeremy Nichols, Guardian of WildEarth, (303) 437-7663, [email protected]
Anne Hedges, Montana Environmental Information Center, (406) 443-2520, [email protected]
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