The federal district court for the District of Columbia concluded that two conservation organizations had standing to challenge the U.S. Department of the Interior’s record of decision for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project, which authorized 5,000 new oil wells in the Powder River Basin. The court also concluded, however, that the organizations lacked standing to challenge separately approved applications for permit to drill (APDs). The court denied the organizations’ motion for a preliminary injunction, finding that they did not demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of any of the claims, including claims that the Bureau of Land Management’s analysis of cumulative effects was deficient because it did not quantify greenhouse gas emissions from other projects in the region. In addition, the court found that the organizations failed to demonstrate imminent and irreparable harm and that the equities weighed against preliminary equitable relief. The court also denied a request by private intervenors’ motion to transfer the lawsuit to the District of Wyoming.

Challenge to the Converse County Oil and Gas Project in Wyoming's Powder River Basin.

Powder River Basin Resource Council v. U.S. Department of the Interior

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D.C. Federal Court Denied Preliminary Injunction Request in Challenge to Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project

Filed

United States of America

District of Columbia

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D.C. Federal Court Denied Preliminary Injunction Request in Challenge to Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project

Risk

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance