President-elect Donald J. Trump announced that he intends to nominate US Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to be the next Secretary of the Interior. “He has built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development, and public land issues,” Trump said on Dec. 15.
Zinke, who was elected Montana’s at-large US House member in 2014, is a member of the Natural Resources Committee and its Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee. “This rule is a stark reminder that we need to invest in infrastructure projects like the Keystone [XL] Pipeline, so we don’t need to flare excess gas,” he said when the US Bureau of Land Management finalized its methane venting and flaring rule (OGJ Online, Nov. 16, 2016).
“Furthermore, new technology in oil and gas development has led to incredible reductions in emissions over the years,” Zinke said. “I trust Montana’s energy workers to continue their good work and technological breakthroughs more than I trust unelected bureaucrats.”
In a statement at the presidential transition team’s web site, Zinke said he would work tirelessly as Interior Secretary to manage US public lands “in a way that benefits everyone for generations to come.”
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