New process to expedite drilling on public lands

The Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled new procedures to speed up drilling on public lands, an area where Republicans and the oil industry have pressed the administration to do more to boost oil production and help drive down gasoline prices. The changes will move the Bureau of Land Management, the agency responsible for oil and gas production on federal onshore lands, into the digital age by automating permitting and leasing decisions. Today, those negotiations are done on paper, and the back-and-forth has resulted in permits taking on average 298 days to approve. Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey said that the new process unveiled Tuesday and in place nationwide by May 2013 would drop it to 60 days or less, without compromising safety or the environment. "We have heard from the industry that they believe that BLM's administrative processes are too slow and result in unnecessary delay and added costs," Abbey said in a conference call with reporters. "And to some degree, their criticism is valid."...more

If I didn't know better I'd think gas prices are high and this is an election year.
It must be serious, cuz the BLM is only taking 13 months to implement it.