Uintah Basin

In an 8-0 decision with Justice Neil Gorsuch recused, the court endorsed a limited interpretation of environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Waxy crude oil drawn from the Uinta Basin is at record high levels — the vast majority of the state’s 65.1 million barrels produced in 2024 — and is the driver behind Utah’s recent uptick in energy exports.

Bad air quality from inversions is a common winter occurrence in the Salt Lake Valley. But it’s not the only place in Utah that experiences these meteorological events.

Beyond getting a multi-million dollar project on track, backers of Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway also wanted to shrink the scope of federal environmental reviews.

The case is about more than Utah’s long-fought oil train project. It’s become a test case, with many interested parties, over the future of environmental review.

On Monday, the nation's highest court said it will review an appeals court ruling that overturned the approval issued by the Surface Transportation Board for the Uinta Basin Railway. Arguments will be in the fall.

The decision follows an August U.S. appeals court ruling that struck down a critical approval involving the Uinta Basin Railway. The proposed 88-mile railroad line would connect oil and gas producers in rural Utah to the broader rail network and larger markets.

The ruling is the latest development in the fight over the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, an 88-mile railroad line that would connect oil and gas producers in rural Utah to the broader rail network.

State and local officials argue it's a good idea for domestic energy production. Critics question investing billions in oil and gas infrastructure as the country seeks to use less of the fossil fuels that worsen climate change.

An Estonian oil company, Enefit, initially bought the water right to build a commercial oil shale mine and processing plant in the Uinta Basin near Vernal.

The state argues the funds are meant to alleviate a range of issues communities in the Uinta Basin are facing.

The latest Utah news for Wednesday evening, March 30, 2022.