• About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Work with Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Members and Partners
    • History
  • Campaigns
    • Take Action!
    • Climate Resilience
    • Ocean
    • Public Lands >
      • Public Lands & Church Camps
      • Public Lands: Prayers and Sermons
    • Conservation >
      • What is 30 x 30?
      • California
      • Grand Canyon
    • Youth & Young Adult Engagement
    • Water
    • Endangered
    • Energy >
      • Coal
      • Ideas for Toxic Free Living
    • Climate Change >
      • Climate Change - Get Involved
    • Environmental Health and Toxics
  • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
  • Resources
    • Resource Hub
    • Earth Day Resources
    • Racial Justice Resources
    • Video Resources
    • Events
    • Services
    • News
  • Blog
  • Policy Statements/Letters
  • Faithful Climate BIPOC Fellowship
CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRIES
  • About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Work with Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Members and Partners
    • History
  • Campaigns
    • Take Action!
    • Climate Resilience
    • Ocean
    • Public Lands >
      • Public Lands & Church Camps
      • Public Lands: Prayers and Sermons
    • Conservation >
      • What is 30 x 30?
      • California
      • Grand Canyon
    • Youth & Young Adult Engagement
    • Water
    • Endangered
    • Energy >
      • Coal
      • Ideas for Toxic Free Living
    • Climate Change >
      • Climate Change - Get Involved
    • Environmental Health and Toxics
  • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
  • Resources
    • Resource Hub
    • Earth Day Resources
    • Racial Justice Resources
    • Video Resources
    • Events
    • Services
    • News
  • Blog
  • Policy Statements/Letters
  • Faithful Climate BIPOC Fellowship

Christian Leaders Seek Response from Department of Interior Regarding Rollback of Bureau of Land Management Methane Rule

4/30/2018

12 Comments

 
At the close of the Department of Interior Comment Period for the Bureau of Land Management Methane Waste (BLM) Prevention rule, it was abundantly clear that the vast majority of commenters wish to uphold or strengthen the rule. It was also clear several religious leaders took issue with the lack of public notification and hearings about this proposed rollback to the rule, which had originally been crafted after three years of stakeholder meetings, public hearings, and comment collection.
 
In spite of the short comment period and zero public hearings, people of faith manifested their discontent with the proposed rollback in many ways – from the hundreds of faith leaders who signed and hand delivered a letter organized by Interfaith Power and Light, to eleven religious organizations, to top leaders of Historically Black Church communities, and numerous other individuals and organizations.  
 
Peter Severson, leader of the creation care team of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) noted:
…we participated in the rule-making process in 2016 by sending people to testify at public hearings in favorof this much-needed rule. So far, there have been no public hearings about the rescinding of the rule. We request an explanation of why the Department of Interior made this decision.
 
Pastors James and Kimberly Therrien of Lybrook Community Ministries in Counselor, New Mexico said of the process for the proposed rollback:
Venting and flaring, as well as methane leaks, disproportionately endanger our community... We have not heard any announcements about this proposed rollback in our news channels. Nothing has run on the Navajo radio station, even though the Navajo Nation endorsed the Methane Waste Prevention Rule when it was created. It is wrong that our community had not chance to voice our concerns in hearings, and we urge your department to give us the chance.
 
Dr. D. Edward Chaney, pastor of the largest Historically Black Church in Nevada, Second Baptist Church in Las Vegas, shared his view:
Rolling back the Bureau of Land Management Methane Waste Prevention Rule will harm Nevadans and African-Americans specifically. It is an unseen threat deliberately designed to go unnoticed with no public hearings.
 
Recent polling shows more than three out of four people support the rule, and an analysis of public comments conducted by the Center for Western priorities found that 99 percent of public comments were in favor of upholding or strengthening the rule, rather than rolling it back. One week after the close of the comment period, faith community leaders are still seeking a response from the Department of Interior about the lack of hearings.
 
###
Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care policies of 38 Christian communions, including Baptists, mainline Protestants, Historically Black Churches, Peace Churches, and Orthodox communions. Learn more at www.creationjustice.org
12 Comments

    About this Blog

    This blog shares the activities of Creation Justice Ministries. We educate and equip Christians to protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Climate Justice
    Conservation
    Energy Ethics
    Indigenous Peoples' Rights
    Oceans
    Public Lands
    Racial Justice
    Resilience
    Season Of Creation
    Superfund Sites
    Water

    RSS Feed

Creation Justice Ministries

 Address

110 Maryland Ave. NE #203
Washington, DC 20002

Email

info@creationjustice.org

Phone

Picture
‪(240) 528-7282‬


  • About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Work with Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Members and Partners
    • History
  • Campaigns
    • Take Action!
    • Climate Resilience
    • Ocean
    • Public Lands >
      • Public Lands & Church Camps
      • Public Lands: Prayers and Sermons
    • Conservation >
      • What is 30 x 30?
      • California
      • Grand Canyon
    • Youth & Young Adult Engagement
    • Water
    • Endangered
    • Energy >
      • Coal
      • Ideas for Toxic Free Living
    • Climate Change >
      • Climate Change - Get Involved
    • Environmental Health and Toxics
  • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
  • Resources
    • Resource Hub
    • Earth Day Resources
    • Racial Justice Resources
    • Video Resources
    • Events
    • Services
    • News
  • Blog
  • Policy Statements/Letters
  • Faithful Climate BIPOC Fellowship