GRANTS, N.M. – The Department of the Interior has announced two coordinated regulatory actions aimed at modernizing federal onshore oil and gas policy and eliminating unnecessary administrative barriers, including shortening public participation time frames to 10 days from 90 days.
A June 22 news release from the Department of the Interior states that the rule also would: Authorize noncompetitive leases after competitive auctions; remove the expression of interest leasing preference review; seek input on current bond amounts; modernize filing fees; provide replacement lease sales when previous offerings are canceled or delayed; and limit lease suspension approvals to one year with improved timing requirements.
The rules would end the Biden-era statewide bonding requirement that raised costs to $500,000 and replace it with the previous $25,000 standard. Updates to the waste prevention rule are expected to cut compliance costs by nearly $17 million annually while reducing red tape.
A report from Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship concludes that weakening federal oil and gas bonding requirements could leave American taxpayers responsible for billions of dollars in cleanup costs on public lands, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
NRDC alleges the new rules are aimed at increasing industry profits, cutting the public out of the environmental review process, and making it easier and quicker for companies to lease public lands while increasing risks to clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, local communities, and the climate.
The Interior stated the revisions to BLM’s waste prevention rule are designed to remove litigation risk, reduce operational uncertainty, and offer clear, objective standards. Consolidating updates into a single rulemaking provides greater clarity for operators and supports the administration’s goal of efficient, responsible energy production. The rule will be renamed “Royalty for Oil and Gas Lost from Onshore Federal and Indian Leases.”
“Energy Dominance requires regulatory clarity,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said. “These targeted updates cut through the red tape that has historically deterred investment, ensuring our public lands remain a reliable engine for economic growth and innovation.”
The public comment period ends Aug. 24. To view the Federal Register notice: https://www.govinfo. gov/content/pkg/FR2026-06-24/pdf/2026-127 34.pdf