Our elected officials claim that public lands would be better off under state ownership. But The Tribune’s recent article about an oil company’s terrible environmental record is a telling example of the state’s inability to effectively manage our lands.

Gordon Creek Energy has been given many chances to conform to environmental regulations, but has instead chosen to conduct business as usual for years. Despite this, the state continues to drag its feet when given a chance to enact sanctions.

Meanwhile, regulations go unenforced and our environment suffers the consequences. It is clear that state regulators will do everything possible to avoid punishing an oil company, even when environmental impacts are severe and well documented. There is no reason to believe this latest “crackdown” is any different.

Historically, it was precisely cases like this that forced the federal government to step in and regulate land and waters under tougher national standards than state regulators were willing to enact or enforce. Utah’s tired argument that “we can manage lands better because we’re closer to the issue” reeks of grandstanding and conceals their ongoing irresponsibility and complicity. Under state management, cases like this would be the new norm.