Voters want federal government to regulate flaring, says poll sponsored by watchdog group

The majority of voters in Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota and Utah are in favor of U.S. Bureau of Land Management proposed rules on venting and flaring, says a survey conduced by Benson Strategies Group and sponsored by Western Values Project, a self-described oil-and-gas industry watchdog. (Benson Strategies Group graphic: Percent of respondents that favor proposed rules)

The survey found that 70 percent of the poll's 750 respondents are in favor of "a rule that would require oil companies to significantly cut the amount of natural gas they burn or vent as a byproduct of crude oil production," Laura Barron-Lopez reports for The Hill. "The survey also found that 93 percent of voters think its important for companies to pay taxpayers for the resources they extract from public lands."

Respondents were split by political affiliation, with 80 percent of Democrats in favor of the rules and 57 percent of Republicans, Barron-Lopez writes. (Read more)