U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke Thursday ordered the department to explore ways to streamline the oil and gas permitting process and hold quarterly lease sales.

"In issuing this order I am taking corrective action as a responsible public steward to strengthen American energy security and create American jobs," Zinke writes in the order.    

A review of the permitting process said the BLM is nowhere near compliance with a statute that requires a 30-day response to any Applications for Permit to Drill (APD).

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