In a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) approval of the Converse County Oil and Gas Project, the federal district court for the District of Columbia ruled that BLM’s consideration of groundwater impacts in the environmental impact statement for the project was inadequate. The project covers approximately 52,667 acres of BLM-administered surface and federal mineral estate in Wyoming and would result in the drilling of approximately 5,000 wells over 10 years. The court’s decision did not address the plaintiffs’ arguments regarding deficiencies in the analysis of impacts on cumulative greenhouse gas emissions and the failure to consider all reasonable alternatives, including a greenhouse gas reduction alternative. The court ordered additional briefing on remedy and enjoined approvals of applications for permits to drill until a ruling on remedy.

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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Federal Court Said Consideration of Oil and Gas Project’s Impacts on Groundwater Was Deficient

Filed

United States of America

District of Columbia

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Federal Court Said Consideration of Oil and Gas Project’s Impacts on Groundwater Was Deficient

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Economic sector