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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 25/09/2026

The oil & gas industry says it supports methane regulations, but has been working behind the scenes with the Trump admin to gut them.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 18/09/2026

NEW: Oil & gas corporations have been working hand-in-glove with the Trump admin to gut methane regs. Check out our investigation—based on internal comms that were never meant to be public, FOIA records, and more—to learn how industry has been maneuvering behind the scenes.

fieldnotes.co

‘And Not Much More’: Inside the Oil & Gas Industry’s Campaign Against…

Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 14/09/2026

✅ Legislative sleight of hand and a handful of friendly congressmen. ✅ A secret deal with the world’s largest pesticide makers. ✅ A bespoke trade group fronted by global soda and snack giants. Our latest investigation into Exxon's 'advanced recycling' campaign has it all.

fieldnotes.co

Exxon’s ‘Advanced’ Deception Revealed

Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 11/09/2026

Confidential docs obtained by Fieldnotes reveal: Exxon “developed and championed” RMAA, a bill that would redefine recycling for its own benefit. It’s gone to great lengths to hide that fact.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 10/09/2026

Join Fieldnotes and @climateintegrity.org on 9/16 for a media briefing previewing what we uncovered investigating the oil & gas industry’s efforts to gut methane regs during the second Trump admin. tinyurl.com/methane-brie...

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 19/08/2026

The oil & gas industry wants the Trump admin to maintain the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program but hollow out methane reporting requirements, allowing corporations to continue undercounting the climate pollutant. @rsanta.bsky.social reports for @nsarchive.bsky.social and @desmog.com bit.ly/4geZ5Ic

bit.ly

Inside the Struggle to Dismantle America’s Greenhouse Gas Data

New accounts show the oil and gas industry trying to weaken methane reporting while saving the federal emissions system it relies on.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 29/07/2026

Fracking wastewater - which can be ☢️ radioactive ☢️ - is migrating to the surface in Marietta, OH, leading to growing concerns due to the close proximity of injection wells to the city's aquifer. Must read from @quinnglabicki.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/c...

nytimes.com

In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground

The state is a major importer of fracking wastewater, which gets pumped underground but doesn’t always stay there. The city of Marietta is fighting back.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 24/07/2026

For more, check out @propublica.org's recent investigation into the broader campaign by Leonard Leo-aligned dark money groups and climate polluters like Exxon and Koch to block public-interest lawsuits against corporations. www.propublica.org/article/clim...

propublica.org

“Economic Civil War”: States Push Laws to Shield Oil and Gas Companies From Accountability

Most of the 15 bills being considered are part of a coordinated effort by groups linked to right-wing activist Leonard Leo.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 23/07/2026

Hamm was wrong, but remains unfazed by the global energy crisis the Iran War has wrought.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 23/07/2026

For example, Hamm co-authored a National Review essay in 2018 titled, "U.S. Oil Production Allows America to Crack Down on Iran" that argued:

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 23/07/2026

Our investigation revealed Hamm spent years downplaying the risk of war with Iran, as the co-chair of the Council.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 23/07/2026

ICYMI, the Council for a Secure America is a self-described, "alliance between the American oil and gas industry and the pro-Israel community."

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 23/07/2026

Read the extended version of our investigation into Harold Hamm and the Council for a Secure America here. fieldnotes.co/reporting/ha... (Art by Barbara Gibson)

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 16/07/2026

"It's all relative" 🤔

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 16/07/2026

Thank you for sharing!

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 16/07/2026

IN THE TANK: Harold Hamm downplayed the risks of war in Iran for years. He was wrong, but now stands to profit from the energy crisis the war set off. fieldnotes.co/reporting/ha...

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 16/07/2026

NEW: Fieldnotes' @joshvoorhees.bsky.social reveals how Trump megadonor & fracking magnate Harold Hamm spent years downplaying the risks of war w/ Iran in a new investigation w/ @us.theguardian.com. Hamm now stands to profit from the energy crisis the war has triggered. fieldnotes.co/reporting/ha...

fieldnotes.co

Trump’s ‘Original Oil Guy’ Spent Years Dismissing the Risks of a War…

Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

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Julia Kane @juliakane.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Small #FOIA win: @fieldnotes.co obtained EPA HQ visitor logs that have more info than the logs publicly available on EPA’s website. You can check out the logs here: www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...

documentcloud.org

EPA HQ Visitor Logs (Jan. - Oct. 2025) - results of FOIA appeal

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Julia Kane @juliakane.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

@alexcuadros.bsky.social's new investigation for @propublica.org is fantastic. It's got everything: ➡️ On-the-ground reporting from the oilfield! ➡️ Behind-the-scenes industry mtgs w/ admin officials! ➡️ FOIA records from @fieldnotes.co! 😆 Take some time to read the whole thing—it's well worth it!

propublica.org

Trump Plans to Protect Methane-Leaking Stripper Wells. This Billionaire Donor Will Benefit.

Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand gave millions to Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign. He is set to reap a financial windfall as the EPA moves to weaken restrictions on wells like his that produce very...

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 16/06/2026

NEW: A @propublica.org investigation—featuring records obtained by @fieldnotes.co—reveals EPA is about to wipe out methane regulations on stripper wells. This will especially benefit billionaire Trump backer Jeffery Hildebrand, who owns one of the most polluting oil & gas companies in the country.

propublica.org

Trump Plans to Protect Methane-Leaking Stripper Wells. This Billionaire Donor Will Benefit.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 04/06/2026

A new report co-authored with @publiccitizen.bsky.social shines light on the first Trump admin's DOI Secretary David Bernhardt, a long-time lobbyist for oil & gas, mining, and big ag interests, and the stronghold he still has on the department. Read it here: www.citizen.org/article/retu...

citizen.org

Return of the Corporate Swamp Monster: Former Interior Secretary Exerts Influence Over Agency - Public Citizen

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 02/06/2026

New @houstonchronicle.com story explores the growing push to reuse "produced water" from oilfields for data center cooling — a proposal that supporters say could help address both Texas' water shortages and the oil industry's mounting wastewater disposal problem.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 02/06/2026

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Julia Kane @juliakane.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Public Domain + @fieldnotes.co's investigation was written up in the POLITICO Influence newsletter yesterday:

Screenshot of text: BURGUM’S BILLIONAIRE BUDDY: Oil giant Continental Resources, led by billionaire business magnate Harold Hamm, played a key role in the Interior Department’s decision to sign off on new wells in Wyoming despite a court injunction, according to a new report from Substack Public Domain’s Jimmy Tobias and watchdog group Fieldnotes’ Julia Kane.

— Hamm reportedly met privately with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in April 2025 at an Oklahoma City hotel on the same day Burgum announced new plans to open more federal lands to oil, gas and mineral extraction. And two months later, a Continental staffer contacted a top political appointee at Interior with a “roadmap” for getting around a court injunction that restricted Bureau of Land Management oil and gas permitting in Converse County, Wyoming, according to emails obtained by Public Domain and Fieldnotes.

— Burgum and Hamm’s friendship has drawn scrutiny for years. During the 2024 election cycle, Continental donated $250,000 to support Burgum’s presidential campaign, Federal Election Commission records show. Ever since Trump returned to the White House, BLM has approved more than 500 new wells in Converse County, Jimmy and Julia write. Continental did not respond to their requests for comment, and an Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement that “Secretary Burgum has complied with all federal ethics requirements and remains committed to protecting America’s ability to responsibly use and care for our federal lands for the profit and benefit of future generations.”

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 08/05/2026

Meanwhile, Hamm is celebrating. “Some of the regulatory hurdles that was there before, they’ve been removed. And that does lower our cost of doing business,” he said at an event in January. Public lands. Private influence. Same story, just more explicit now.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 08/05/2026

Since then: - The BLM closely followed the workaround strategy proposed by Continental - The agency has approved 500+ new wells in Converse County - Continental has gotten permits for 71 new wells in the area

ALT TEXT 1: A chart shows that 511 drilling permits have been approved in Converse County, Wyoming between January 2025 and April 2026.

ALT TEXT 2: A bar chart shows the number of drilling permits 11 companies have gotten in Converse County, Wyoming. The top recipients are Anschutz Exploration Corp: 142, Devon Energy Production Co: 84, Continental Resources Inc: 71, and Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC: 65.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 08/05/2026

Two months later, Continental sent a top Interior appointee a memo laying out how the Bureau of Land Management could effectively skirt a federal injunction to approve the company’s Wyoming drilling permits.

ALT TEXT 1: In a June 3, 2025 email to Adam Suess, then Interior’s assistant secretary for land and minerals management, a Continental employee writes: “Continental requests that the blm complete the NEPA analysis on the Spurs D Pad without tiering to or otherwise using the Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project.”

ALT TEXT 2: An image of the first page of the memo sent by Continental titled: “NEPA Compliance for APDs without the Converse County EIS.”

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 08/05/2026

In April 2025, a Continental employee texted an aide to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to coordinate a meeting with Hamm. While we don’t know what they discussed, hours later Burgum announced plans to open more federal lands to drilling and speed up permitting.

ALT TEXT: A text message sent on April 23, 2025 reads: “Hi Ashley, This is Sam with Continental Resources. Mr. Hamm told me he’s having a meeting in his hotel room at the skirvin when he gets in from the airport. I wanted to make sure your team had that info as well. Please let me know if that’s changed and what room I can take Mr. Hamm to when the Secretary arrives. Thanks, Sam”

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 08/05/2026

🚨New from Public Domain + Fieldnotes: When fracking billionaire Harold Hamm’s company, Continental, wanted to drill in Wyoming, it handed federal officials a “roadmap” for how to get around a court injunction blocking new permits and issue them anyway. 🧵: www.publicdomain.media/p/emails-sho...

publicdomain.media

Emails Show How Interior Dept Delivered New Drilling Permits for Burgum's Billionaire Ally

Oil and gas giant Continental Resources wanted the Bureau of Land Management to sign off on new wells in Wyoming, despite a court injunction there. The agency obliged.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 07/05/2026

🚨New from Fieldnotes and Public Domain: Emails show that Harold Hamm’s Continental wanted the Bureau of Land Management to sign off on new wells in Wyoming, despite a court injunction there. The agency obliged. www.publicdomain.media/p/emails-sho...

publicdomain.media

Emails Show How Interior Dept Delivered New Drilling Permits for Burgum's Billionaire Ally

Oil and gas giant Continental Resources wanted the Bureau of Land Management to sign off on new wells in Wyoming, despite a court injunction there. The agency obliged.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 01/04/2026

Aaron Szabo, the official leading EPA efforts to weaken methane rules, once helped write the oil industry's arguments against said rules. Emails show he's now working closely with industry groups to gut federal climate policy. That's textbook regulatory capture. @propublica.org: bit.ly/4m1DxkG

A screenshot of a paragraph from the ProPublica story that says: The Trump administration official leading an effort to loosen rules on methane pollution was an unnamed author of key industry arguments against those same rules just four years ago when he was an oil and gas lobbyist.

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Center for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 19/03/2026

Big Soda and Big Oil want us hooked on plastic. Together, they're working in lockstep to stop "any cap on plastics production," and make sure that efforts to meaningfully address the plastic pollution crisis fail. @joshvoorhees.bsky.social of @fieldnotes.co and @davisallen.bsky.social explain.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

From a strip mall mailbox to the highest levels of EPA and DOJ, this is what regulatory capture looks like in real time. Read our full investigation here: fieldnotes.co/reporting/ce...

fieldnotes.co

Behind the Organized Assault on Climate Regulation, a Rented Mailbox…

Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

This isn’t a coincidence; it’s infrastructure. CEA exists to launder both far-right cash and oil & gas arguments—all while serving as a revolving door between government and industry.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

The group has received 💰💰💰 in dark money from climate-denial funders tied to Koch networks, far-right culture warriors, and fossil fuel interests.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

How does this connect to CEA? Well. CEA’s legal filings were often drafted by top industry firms–including lawyers defending Chevron, Energy Transfer, and fossil fuel trade groups like the American Petroleum Institute–and quietly repackaged as “independent” submissions.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

EPA chief Lee Zeldin called it the “largest deregulatory action in U.S. history" and promised MAGA supporters it’ll be “a dagger in the heart of the climate change religion.” The reversal will likely rollback rules on power plants, cars & trucks, oil & gas pollution and more.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

At least *nine* current Trump officials previously worked for CEA as a director or outside counsel. And roughly 1/2 were directly involved in Trump’s plan to reverse the endangerment finding, aka the scientific basis for nearly ALL climate regulation.

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Fieldnotes @fieldnotes.co · 13/03/2026

Also super sketchy? CEA’s registered at a rented mailbox in a Texas strip mall. Its shipping-store home promises its private mailboxes offer “Anonymity & Privacy” and, unlike a PO Box, “a ‘real address.’” Oh, and CEA lists *0* employees on its site. All super normal.

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