DENVER—A federal appeals court in Denver is considering the Obama administration’s decision to cancel Bush-era oil and gas leases near national parks in Utah.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments in the case on Thursday.
The leases near Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dinosaur National Monument were auctioned off in the final month of the President George W. Bush’s administration. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar canceled the leases in February 2009, questioning whether there had been an adequate environmental analysis.
Energy companies challenged his decision. A federal judge in Utah agreed that Salazar had exceeded his authority but upheld the cancellations because he said the companies filed suit too late.
