John Stroud/Publish Unbiased
The state of Utah has weighed in on Eagle County’s lawsuit to cease federal approval of a rail line that may put oil tankers on the road that parallels the Colorado River on a lot of the Western Slope.
In 2022, Eagle County joined environmental teams together with the Middle for Organic Range in disputing the ultimate approval in December of 2021 by the U.S. Floor Transportation Board of an 85-mile rail line. The problem to the still-unbuilt line was filed in federal court docket in Washington, D.C.
The road would transport crude oil from the Uinta Basin of Utah to the nationwide rail community that runs roughly parallel to Interstate 70 and the Colorado River by means of western Colorado.
The go well with challenges that approval on a number of grounds, particularly potential environmental impacts.
The preliminary criticism alleges the choice was made incorrectly and that it “failed to contemplate the numerous environmental impression of the Railway on the surroundings and communities alongside the… line.”
Because the go well with was filed, quite a lot of Colorado communities have filed briefs in assist of Eagle County’s place, together with town of Glenwood Springs. Pitkin, Garfield and Routt counties have additionally filed briefs in assist.
Eagle County Legal professional Bryan Treu famous that the state of Colorado isn’t among the many entities submitting briefs supporting the county’s case.
Utah’s state authorities takes a distinct view. Officers there on Jan. 6 filed a short in assist of the protection of the federal board’s resolution, together with the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and the Uinta Basin Railway, LLC.
Because the identify implies, the coalition consists of the seven counties within the basin, all of which presumably would see an financial increase from extra exercise within the space.
The state’s assist temporary backs the defendants’ assertions, stating that it has “vital curiosity in financial growth alternatives for its extra rural counties.”
The temporary notes that the federal board thought of the mission’s deserves, and imposed “many mitigation measures.”
The Utah temporary states that Eagle County and others favored a mission evaluation that “extends far past what the legislation requires … to succeed in a consequence that they would favor.”
Past that, the Utah temporary focuses on financial advantages to the state, alleging that blocking the mission would in the end “harm space residents.” The three counties through which the rail line can be situated are all within the backside half of Utah counties by way of per capita revenue,” the temporary notes.
Treu stated in his view, Utah’s temporary doesn’t do a lot to handle the allegation that the rail line approval course of wasn’t right.
The county’s response to the defendants is due in February, Treu stated. Oral arguments haven’t but been scheduled.