As leaders in the U.S. House take up an offshore drilling bill, pressure has mounted on the U.S. government’s lack of oversight for protection of public lands. The Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore Act, or ASTRO, would limit the presidential authority to put parts of the Outer Continental Shelf off limits to oil and gas drillers and give the Interior Department the authority to move ahead with new lease sales “as soon as practicable,” but no later than a year after the announcement of intent. House leaders scheduled a markup hearing on the measure for Wednesday. Miyoko Sakshita, the oceans project director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the ASTRO Act was a giveaway to the oil and gas […]