The State of Wyoming filed a lawsuit asserting that the federal government violated the Mineral Leasing Act and the Administrative Procedure Act when it canceled or decided not to hold federal oil and gas lease sales for the second and third quarters of 2021 and third quarter of 2022. Wyoming also challenged the Biden administration’s “unwritten decision to pause federal oil and gas leasing.” The federal district court for the District of Wyoming, where the suit was filed, in September 2022 <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/wp-content/uploads/case-documents/2022/20220902_docket-021-cv-00013_order.pdf">rejected</a> a challenge to the cancellation of the first quarter 2021 lease sale, finding that the cancellation “was accompanied with a sufficient explanation” that “no land was ‘available’ for leasing at that time” because additional review under the National Environmental Policy Act was required. In the new lawsuit, Wyoming contended that the Secretary of the Interior did not provide adequate justification for canceling the second quarter 2021 lease sale, provided no explanation for deciding not to hold the third quarter 2021 and third quarter 2022 sales, and adopted a new leasing policy without providing an explanation.

Lawsuit challenging the federal government's failure to hold oil and gas quarterly lease sales on three occasions in 2021 and 2022.

Wyoming v. U.S. Department of Interior

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Wyoming Filed New Lawsuit Challenging Federal Government’s Cancellation of 2021 and 2022 Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Filed

United States of America

Wyoming

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Wyoming Filed New Lawsuit Challenging Federal Government’s Cancellation of 2021 and 2022 Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Finance