A coalition of environmental groups has sued the Trump administration for failing to consider greenhouse gas and climate change impacts when they granted 130 oil and gas leases on public lands in Utah.
Most of the challenged leases are linked to a Trump administration policy of “energy dominance” that has implemented rules designed to fast-track leasing and reduce public input.
A report from The Wilderness Society found that the lifecycle emissions from fossil fuels extracted from U.S. public lands during the Trump administration surpasses the total greenhouse gas emissions from all 28 countries in the European Union.
Groups supporting the lawsuit are Living Rivers, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Center for Biological Diversity.
Measuring the Climate Impact of Trump’s Reckless Leasing of Public Lands (TWS, 2019)