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

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Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

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Activities of industries that extract natural resources, such as mining, oil, and gas, for commercial use.

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Activities involving the catching, processing, and selling of fish for food, recreation, and industry.

This sector involves the distribution, treatment, and conservation of water resources.

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

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience