Last week, Ryan Zinke expressed his concerns with the Bureau of Land Management and a Natural Resources Committee subcommittee on the BLM’s inexperience with fracking. Zinke called in to Talk Back on Friday to discuss those concerns.

"Here's part of the problem is you have people in D.C. making decisions that affect Montana and the west and they don't even know where Montana is on the map," Zinke said. "I think it's a fair statement to say that if you don't know the difference between Butte, Bozeman, and Missoula, maybe you're not the right person to be making those decisions."

Zinke said he’s "concerned about the science of what we’re doing and who is in the best position to make sure that what we’re doing is right" when it comes to fracking in the Treasure State.

"Fracking rules are better addressed at the state level because that's where the expertise is," Zinke said. "For the Department of Interior to come out with a new set of rules that costs about $100,000 additional per well head that doesn't do anything? I think it's inexcusable."

Earlier this week, BLM Director Neil Kornze encouraged the BLM to work efficiently with state regulators and said "We can more or less cross-deputize state inspectors to do that work."

More From KMMS-KPRK 1450 AM