Hoeven Statement on Federal Court Overturning BLM's Revised Flaring Rule

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for Northern California overturned a 2018 rule from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that removed the one-size-fits-all approach to addressing flaring and recognized the rights of tribes to manage energy development on their lands.

“In order to reduce flaring on federal and tribal land, we need to invest in the proper infrastructure to capture this valuable resource,” said Hoeven. “Today’s decision reinstates unworkable mandates from the previous administration that will add to the challenges already faced by our energy sector. Nevertheless, we will continue working to provide regulatory relief to help our energy producers succeed and address delays within the federal government’s permitting process to build the infrastructure our nation needs.”

Hoeven has worked to reduce natural gas flaring by addressing the BLM’s backlog of permit applications for gas-gathering infrastructure and pressing for workable, state-led regulations. The delays at BLM prevent the development of needed infrastructure and contribute to unnecessary venting and flaring from oil and gas wells. The senator previously helped introduce legislation to expedite the permitting of natural gas gathering lines on federal and Indian land.

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