Groups Look for a Stop Sign on Adobe Town Drilling
Friday, May 7, 2010
RAWLING, Wyo. - Red Desert drilling plans are headed for the courtroom. Several conservation groups have filed a federal lawsuit over the BLM's recent Rawlins Resource Management Plan, which sets guidelines for how lands in the district will be used and maintained. That plan opened 97 percent of the area to oil and gas leasing, including in Adobe Town and along the Kinney Rim. These are two areas public comments, and even state officials, overwhelmingly supported keeping off-limits to development.
Erik Molvar, executive director of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance (BCA), calls it an extreme example of handing over public lands to the oil and gas industry. BCA is involved in the lawsuit.
"This is a remarkably unbalanced plan and leaves places like Adobe Town wide open to drilling and industrial sacrifice."
Molvar claims environmental damage and air pollution associated with drilling also weren't fully examined. The BLM called the Rawlins plan 'balanced" when it was released. Molvar says it is within the court's power to issue an injunction to stop those leases until the case can be considered.
Rock Springs City Council member Joyce Corcoran says, with the economic downturn hitting oil and gas prices, she's convinced the region needs to diversify its income. She's looking to the tourism potential of an unspoiled Adobe Town to provide a new source of income.
"As a city council member, my concern is travel and tourism becoming part of our sustainable economy. Adobe Town could become a real attraction because it is that kind of a place."
Drilling leases for the area are scheduled to be offered next week. Groups involved in the lawsuit include Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society, Wyoming Wilderness Association, and Wyoming Outdoor Council.
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …