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Push for federal protection of dunes sagebrush lizard could bring oil, gas industry to screeching halt in Southwest
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Aren't so gas prices climbing towards five dollars a gallon increasing domestic drilling right here in the United States is more important than ever but oil production in one of the richest oil reserves in the country may now be in jeopardy all -- cause of -- pesky little critter.
Our own Ainsley Earhardt has all the details.
The Permian Basin is located in west Texas.
In the adjoining area of southeastern New Mexico this is oil country Texas -- the bread and butter for most people here.
And 20% of America's oil comes from right here.
But all that could change because of -- lizard.
It's it's a little three inch brightly colored at times game lives in -- -- Cheerio good time -- being grasslands.
Efficient while I've.
Service editors are proposing that these do and -- -- yeah -- yeah.
And -- flu -- catastrophic outcome.
-- and gas exploration and production in this part of Texas.
Believe it or not this is capturing this generally have about 90% of it is underground.
And it's come into the sand dune lizard environmentalists in this area worry that the habitat here is being diminished because of the gas and oil production in the area.
Oil and gas activity and they're associated rose.
An infrastructure.
As well as ranching activities that convert haven't had a grasslands destroyed the places where the -- can live and it literally has nowhere else to -- just.
Asus has been found reduce the -- has been reduced at least one -- -- percent.
Habitat available to it has been reduced about 40%.
Texas congressman Mike McConnell way feels that more studies need to be done any before livelihoods.
But it -- Wanna do things -- to because of the species go extinct.
But by the same token we ought to be using good science to the side there are gaps in the data.
If their flaws -- terrorism the analysis if there are flaws in its methodology used to conduct the studies they won't vote.
And I'm appealing to their personal integrity test whatever edition of courage -- lose their -- to stand in the breach on behalf effect socialist text.
Steve Pruitt is president of legacy reserves -- -- company in Midland Texas.
There's 130 rigs operating in the.
Endangered species Mary's pizza while -- -- about a 150 sports 150 jobs and you multiply that.
All of the 130 -- The numbers are staggering.
75%.
Of the people in west Texas.
-- affiliated with the oil industry.
It's okay.
But conservation groups argue this sagebrush lizards habitat is so small.
And that listing and it won't impact drilling.
And in the lizard -- -- is being heightened -- political reason.
Less than two years ago.
There's a lot of sort of put him and that the -- now.
And San Joaquin.
There's -- danger.
If you watch closely you know it's -- delta -- -- as endangered -- 27000.
Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley.
Out of work its -- Down close the Center for Biological Diversity study the oil and gas activity in southeast in Mexico and we found that.
Protecting the -- habitat affected less than 1%.
Of all -- wanna get us.
And efforts to -- it will not affect you.
-- lizards.
Don't have a problem contracts have a problem where what politicians.
Who are.
Deceiving the public.
Workers in the area are -- taking.
Permian Basin were standing it's almost a million barrels a day.
Let's send a message -- -- all these.
Wells are generating jobs.
-- we make our living in the oil and gas business.
And the EPA is starting off putting to save us -- on me the endangered species list with -- shutdown a lot of rolling gas.
Project here in west Texas.
They have to -- tomorrow -- -- tomorrow on the prairie chicken so what we're doing is saying enough is enough the American jobs count something.
Recently several rallies and public reviews with the fish and wildlife services -- -- live in Texas in Roswell, New Mexico.
-- you competition.
Based on the brief search that I have seen.
Various.
Completely been -- a court.
-- available negative to the scientific community.
To make any kind of irrational decision about whether this species used in danger for naught.
These are the faces of the people -- affect.
These are the folks who will lose jobs.
With this happens I don't know this -- is doing -- you're not good if it is.
There are -- many avenues out there that won't allow private industry continue to function.
While we can still recover species single parent always.
Get -- you can go out into the field of work.
-- everything.
-- Fish and Wildlife Service have until December to make a decision on the listing of the -- sagebrush lists or so until then.
Oil will still be -- -- -- and the great lizard debate and we'll still be raging.
And lizards really don't have a problem.
-- -- -- -- -- It's a bigger political conflict -- -- do these mandates has been done in the past these are the folks who lose their jobs.
So I want these faces to haunt you when you make these decisions over the next six months.
