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THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2002

Bureau of Land Management officials met in Montana this week to discuss coalbed methane drilling in the Powder River Basin.

The basin, in Montana and Wyoming, has been the subject of considerable debate. The BLM and the state of Montana jointly released an environmental study on drilling that has been criticized by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Two high-level Department of Interior officials have signed recusals because of their former involvement with the drilling industry. Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles and Assistant Secretary Rebecca Watson formerly represented clients with interests in the basin.

Get the Story:
BLM closes coalbed methane meeting here (The Billings Gazette 6/20)

Relevant Links:
Griles Watch, Friends of the Earth - http://www.foe.org/eco/interior/griles/index.html
Montana DEQ Coal Bed Methane Plan - http://www.deq.state.mt.us/coalbedmethane/index.asp
Coalbed Methane, Region 8 - http://www.epa.gov/region08/water/
wastewater/npdeshome/cbm/cbm.html

Related Stories:
Another Interior recusal on drilling (6/13)
Public negative on drilling plan (6/10)
Recusal didn't bar Griles involvement (5/27)
Worst rating goes to DOI study (5/17)
Interior and EPA trade shots on drilling (5/14)
Griles backs out on future drilling (5/10)
Griles discounts meeting invite (5/6)
Impact of drilling ruling considered (5/3)
Methane drilling study discussed (5/2)
Industry opposed to gas ruling (5/1)
Coalbed methane leases ruled illegal(4/30)
Griles accused of intimidation (4/25)
Coalbed methane drilling pushed (4/5)
Tribes host coalbed methane meetings (4/4)
Halt in methane drilling sought (2/21)
Coal methane plan released (2/20)
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Methane standards to affect tribes (9/26)