facebook-pixel

Lawsuit: Government ignored climate change impacts when it approved Utah oil, gas leases

A coalition of environmental organizations allege in a new lawsuit that the U.S. government failed to adequately analyze climate change impacts while approving 130 oil and gas leases in Utah.

The lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Bureau of Land Management officials of violating the National Environmental Policy Act in approving leases on about 274 square miles of land in rural Utah from 2014 to 2018.

Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Kimberly Finch declined comment since it's a pending lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses the agency of "dutifully" implementing President Donald Trump's push to ramp up oil and gas drilling on public lands.

The lawsuit that was filed jointly by the Center for Biological Diversity, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Living Rivers asks for the sales to be invalidated.

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.

$15$25$35

MOST VIEWED

By The Associated Press