The Interior Department must abide by deadline laws in the Mineral Leasing Act. U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal ruled that the Interior Department must issue or deny oil and gas leases within 60 days of selling them at auction.The lawsuit was filed by the Western Energy Alliance. The WEA had more than a two year backlog of federal oil and gas leases in Wyoming and Utah. Most of the leases have since been cleared by the government but decisions are still being made for nine more leases in Wyoming and 38 in Utah.

 

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