Center for Biological Diversity v. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Docket number(s): 2:15-cv-1189

Court/Admin Entity: C.D. Cal.

Case Documents:

Filing Date	Type	File	Action Taken	Summary
01/29/2016	Settlement Agreement	Download	Parties stipulated to settlement.	Settlement Agreement Required Analysis of Impacts of Well-Stimulation Practices on Pacific Outer Continental Shelf. Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) reached settlement agreements pursuant to which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) will prepare a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential impacts of certain well-stimulation practices including hydraulic fracturing on the Pacific outer continental shelf. The settlement agreements resolved lawsuits brought by EDC and CBD in 2014 and 2015 in which they alleged that the agencies had failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). EDC had cited greenhouse gas emissions as one environmental risk that should have been considered prior to approving drilling permit applications. The agreements required the programmatic EA to be completed by May 28, 2016. Pursuant to the agreements, BSEE must withhold future approvals of drilling permit applications involving well-stimulation techniques while the programmatic EA is prepared. BSEE must provide notice to EDC and CBD of well-stimulation applications it receives for an interim period while BSEE works to establish a system for making information about submitted applications publicly available.
02/19/2015	Complaint	Download	Complaint filed.