Description: Challenge by conservation groups to the suspension of 82 oil and gas leases.
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Living Rivers v. Hoffman
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 06/21/2021 Memorandum Decision Download Motion to dismiss granted and action dismissed without prejudice. Utah Federal Court Said Suspension of Oil and Gas Leases Was Not Subject to NEPA. The federal district court for the District of Utah dismissed without prejudice conservation groups’ lawsuit challenging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) suspension of 82 oil and gas leases issued in 2018. BLM suspended the leases after a federal court in Washington, D.C. ruled in 2019 that BLM had failed to adequately assess the potential impacts of greenhouse gas emissions for certain oil and gas leases in Wyoming. The District of Utah held that the lease suspensions merely maintained the status quo and therefore were not major federal actions subject to NEPA; the conservation groups therefore lacked standing. The court also concluded that the groups’ argument that BLM should have canceled the leases instead of suspending them was not relevant to its cause of action alleging that the lease suspensions violated NEPA. 11/15/2019 Reply Download Reply filed in support of motion to dismiss. 11/01/2019 Opposition Download Opposition filed to motion to dismiss. 11/01/2019 Opposition Download Opposition filed to motion to dismiss. 10/04/2019 Motion to Dismiss Download Motion to dismiss filed. 10/04/2019 Motion to Dismiss Download Motion to dismiss filed. 09/03/2019 Motion Download Motion to amend and supplement complaint filed. 08/02/2019 Complaint Download Complaint filed.