This program is sponsored by the Energy Committee of the D.C. Bar Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section in cosponsorship with the Environmental Law Institute.
On September 30, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming granted a motion for a preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recently issued hydraulic fracturing rule. BLM issued the rule in March, attempting to exert jurisdiction over hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands. The district court’s decision prohibits the BLM from implementing the new rule while litigation over the rule’s legality is pending. The lawsuit, filed shortly after BLM issued the hydraulic fracturing rule, was originally brought by the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Western Energy Alliance. The lawsuit now includes challenges from four states—Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, and Utah—and the Ute Indian Tribe.
This panel discussed the impact of the court's decision and their thoughts regarding future developments in the case.
Speakers:
- Mark Barron, Baker and Hostetler LLP (Moderator)
- Nada Culver, Sr. Counsel and Director of BLM Action Center
- Richard McNeer, U.S. Department of the Interior, Solicitor’s Office