Oil industry group seeks meeting with Salazar over leasing rules

A trade association of smaller oil-and-gas drillers is seeking a meeting with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to chat about Interior’s leasing policy overhaul that the industry strongly opposes.

In a letter to Salazar Wednesday, Independent Petroleum Association of America President Barry Russell says the policy changes unveiled last week are “duplicative and unnecessary,” and restrict access to oil-and-gas resources on federal lands.

Salazar last week said Interior would expand environmental reviews and increase public input before leasing federal lands to energy companies.