EXECUTIVE ORDER
PROCLAIMING AN EMERGENCY TO EXIST IN THE STATE OF MONTANA INCLUDING THE
COUNTIES OF BLAINE, CHOUTEAU, CUSTER, DAWSON, FERGUS, GARFIELD, GOLDEN VALLEY,
HILL, JUDITH BASIN, MCCONE, MUSSELSHELL, PETROLEUM, PHILLIPS, ROSEBUD, and
VALLEY IN ADDITION TO THE ROCKY BOY'S RESERVATION AND THE FORT BELKNAP
RESERVATION
“As part of the Obama Administration’s
all-of-the-above strategy to support safe and responsible domestic energy
production, the Department of the Interior today announced the release of an
updated draft proposal that would establish commonsense safety standards for
hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands. Following the release of an
initial draft proposal in 2012, Interior received extensive feedback, including
over 177,000 public comments that helped inform today’s updated draft proposal.
The new proposal maintains important safety standards, improves integration
with existing state and tribal standards, and increases flexibility for oil and
gas developers.”
Updated
Draft Proposal: Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Lands
“While
the Department of Justice must not waiver in its determination to protect our
national security, we must be just as vigilant in our defense of the sacred
rights and freedoms we are equally obligated to protect, including the freedom
of the press. In order to ensure the appropriate balance in these
efforts, at President Obama’s direction, I have launched a review of existing
Justice Department guidelines governing investigations that involve
reporters. Last week, I convened the first in a series of meetings – with
representatives of news organizations, government agencies, and other groups –
to discuss the need to strike this important balance, ensure robust First
Amendment protections, and foster constructive dialogue. I appreciate the
opportunity to engage members of the media and national security professionals
in this effort to improve our guidelines, policies and processes – and to renew
the important conversation, that is as old as our Republic, about how to
balance our security with our dearest civil liberties. ”
