Environmental groups are making good on their promise to challenge a BLM decision to approve an Enefit oil shale project 40 miles south of Vernal. The lawsuit, aimed at the Trump Administration, was filed on May 16th by Earthjustice, representing multiple environmental groups. Earthjustice attorney Alex Hardee says the federal agencies have “worn blinders in approving this project” and that they have “left the public in the dark” when it come to the effects of oil shale development to the environment. The BLM decision to approve Enefit’s applications connected to the utility corridor project came after a six-year environmental review process. Enefit CEO Rikki Hrenko-Browning has also spoken publicly about the environmental process explaining last fall that “many potential concerns were identified by agencies, interest groups, and the public during the process, and we appreciate the BLM’s diligence in determining that these issues can be adequately addressed…” Information provided on Enefit’s website also details their plan to follow environmental standards closely as well as environmentally responsible practices during production. The lawsuit focuses on the project’s water usage of the Green River and the alleged effects that will have.
