SALT LAKE CITY A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that an exploratory project for helium can proceed in Utah s Emery County, rejecting claims by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance that federal land managers failed to appropriately weigh its potential impacts.
Specifically, Judge Rudolph Contreras said the benefits of the Bowknot Project next to the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness outweigh any potential environmental impacts because of the supply shortage of helium, a critical gas widely used in medical technology such as magnetic resonance imaging as well as computer hard drives, airbags and cleaning rocket fuel tanks. The public undoubtedly has an interest in preservation of the environment. However, the court credits BLM s argument that helium is a critical resource in short supply globally, he said. Given the relatively limited scope of the approved work and the country s need for this resource, the balance of equities tips slightly toward denial of injunctive relief.
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A federal judge in Washington D.C. on Tuesday denied a bid by environmental groups to halt the Bureau of Land Management from authorizing rights-of-way for helium drilling in a protected Utah wilderness area, where the groups say the agency failed to properly assess the drilling’s environmental impacts.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras denied the motion for a restraining order and preliminary injunction by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council and others, reasoning that the plaintiffs had not shown that the planned construction work by intervenor Pure Helium, LLC and co-investor Twin Bridge Resources LCC significantly impacted water resources.
Judge Rejects Effort to Stop Helium Project in Emery County
A federal judge ruled on Jan. 12 that an exploratory project for helium can proceed in Emery County, rejecting claims by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance that federal land managers failed to appropriately weigh its potential impacts.
Judge Rudolph Contreras stated that because of the supply shortage of helium, the benefits of the Bowknot Project next to the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness outweigh any potential environmental impacts.
Contreras also noted that the proposed water use by the project is minimal, amounting to 0.002% of total water use in Emery County. He also noted that all required water would come from existing municipal water rights.
For Immediate Release, January 12, 2021 Contact:
Kya Marienfeld, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, (435) 259-5440, kya@suwa.org Paul Ruprecht, Western Watersheds Project, (208) 421-4637, paul@westernwatersheds.org Connie Howard, Sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter, (775) 224-3916, constancehoward58@gmail.com
Lawsuit Launched Over Trump Plan to Accelerate Clearcutting, Herbicide Spraying, Fuel Breaks Across Six Western States
RENO
, Nev. Conservation groups filed formal notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for violations of the Endangered Species Act stemming from two last-minute decisions authorizing widespread clearcutting, herbicide spraying, grazing, plowing and prescribed fire across 223 million acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands in the Great Basin.
Date of event: March 2021 through November 2021
Location: Public Lands around Moab
Full Description:
Become a Wilderness Steward with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Join our emerging Grand County Chapter – a local team of hearty volunteers working to monitor and manage wilderness-quality public lands alongside our federal land agencies.
Our regional Wilderness Stewardship groups meet regularly during the field season while monitoring protected public land areas to identify and record the pressures of tourism, including: off-road vehicle use, dispersed camping, and more. Stewards receive training in: Wilderness Study Area (WSA) monitoring and drylands restoration techniques. Primary trainings for all Wilderness Stewards will be provided one-on-one, virtually, or in a small group, outdoor setting in 2021. We are seeking adaptable folks with a passion for working hands-on on Utah’s public lands.