Want to know why a bunch of these smaller enviro groups are so opposed to permitting reform? Because it is the equivalent of cutting off their USAID money. Since 2013, taxpayers have paid environmental groups more than $20 million to sue the federal government and then settle. OpenTheBooks tracked attorney fees under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act — the core of “sue and settle.” 2013–2024: $20.3 million 2025: just over $510,000 By President: Obama (2nd term): $5.7 million Trump (1st term): $3.6 million Biden: $10.9 million 2025: ~$510,000, the lowest year on record Biden’s first two years alone (~$6.9 million) nearly doubled Trump’s entire first term. Typical payouts - Sierra Club: $4 million Northwest Environmental Advocates: $1.8 million Center for Biological Diversity: $1.5 million Environmental Law & Policy Center: $1 million NRDC: $1 million This is how it works: Sue over a missed deadline, settle, lock in new rules by consent decree, then bill taxpayers for the lawyers. These are just attorney fee awards, not the cost of the rules and not the grants those same groups also collect. Source: OpenTheBooks openthebooks.substack.com/p/… openthebooks.substack.com/p/… This is an example of how Sue and Settle shut down energy development for five years in five western states and why we need permitting reform.

We've been seeing a lot of these types of posts over the past few days. So we put this together as an explainer. Now keep in mind that we (US_OGA) are the small companies that produce oil and gas - not the big boys that are fully integrated and produce, transport and run refineries. We don't do that. We just pull it out of the ground and sell it to whoever will buy it. But those other guys are bad at explaining things because they have comms teams that are scared of their own shadows so we have to do if for them sometimes. That won't keep some of you from yelling at us. So be it. But yelling at us is like yelling at a farmer for the price of a box of cereal. But here you go. This might answer some of these questions.