Interior Department Moves to Relax Rules for Drilling on Public Lands NYT - Energy & Environment By: Maxine Joselow 22 June 2026 at 19:33 A pair of proposals from the Trump administration would lower costs and weaken requirements for fossil fuel companies that drill on federal property. Β© Paul Ratje for The New York TimesOne proposal would lower the cost of the bonds that fossil fuel companies must pay the Interior Department before they start drilling or mining on public lands.