Judge delays sale of redrock leases in Utah
Aspen, CO Colorado
SALT LAKE CITY ” A federal just has issued a temporary restraining order to halt the sale of oil and gas leases near national parks in southern Utah’s redrock territory.
The ruling out of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. means nearly 110,000 acres near Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dinosaur National Monument won’t be sold and drilled on anytime soon.
Judge Ricardo Urbina’s order Saturday comes in response to a federal lawsuit filed last month by seven conservation, environmental and preservation organizations who asked the court to delay the BLM’s Dec. 19 lease sale.
Urbinia wants to delay the sale until he can rule on the merits of the case after getting more details on the case in court.
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