Montana Environmental Information Center v. BLM

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agreed to a settlement with several environmental organizations concerning its alleged duty under NEPA to consider the climate impacts of oil and gas leasing decisions. According to the settlement, BLM will immediately suspend 61 oil and gas leases it issued covering more than 30,000 acres in Montana. During the suspension, BLM will review its obligations under NEPA. The plaintiffs commenced the lawsuit in December 2008, alleging that BLM violated NEPA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Mineral Leasing Act, and an Interior Department Secretarial Order which allegedly requires all Department of Interior agencies to conduct climate analyses in parallel with planning and decision making.