Obama, No Changes On Oil Drilling Policy On Public Land

The Obama administration isn't changing its policies for oil drilling on public lands. But it does want faster decisions under the policies in place. The Bureau of Land Management said it would automate the issuance of permits and leasing decisions. Now the process is done on paper. Negotiations between the government and would-be drillers can drag on for a year. Bob Abbey, director of BLM, vowed to cut that time to 60 days by May 2013.