"A federal judge yesterday [Thursday] barred the Biden administration from pausing new oil and gas leases on federal lands in 13 Republican-led states.
The ruling follows a decision this week from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down an order requiring the Interior Department to continue lease sales. The appeals court ruled that the mandate issued last year by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana “lacked specificity” and sent the matter back to the lower bench to decide if the Biden administration had authority to pause lease sales (Greenwire, Aug. 17).
The day after the 5th Circuit opinion was released, Judge Terry Doughty of the Louisiana District Court — the same judge who issued the preliminary injunction against Interior last year — ruled that the leasing moratorium was “beyond the authority of the President of the United States.”"
Ellie Borst reports for E&E News August 19, 2022.
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