DISTRICT COURT AFFIRMS BLM APPROVAL OF COALBED METHANE PROJECT IN POWDER RIVER BASIN

摘要

A coalition of environmental groups brought several actions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) challenging the sufficiency of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and the record of decision (ROD) issued for the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project (PRBOG Project). On consolidation of the actions in Western Organization of Resource Councils v. Bureau of Land Management, 591 F. Supp. 2d 1206 (D. Wyo. 2008), the district court held that BLM (1) took the required "hard look" at potential environmental consequences of the proposed project, and (2) did not act arbitrarily and capriciously, abuse its discretion, or act otherwise than in accordance with NEPA in preparing the FEIS.