Biden’s First Public Land Oil and Gas Lease Sales Survive Suit

The Biden administration’s first oil and gas lease sales on federal lands were upheld Friday by a federal judge who said he found no legal fault with the 2022 auctions.

Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the US District Court for the District of Columbia allowed the lease sales to stand, denying the groups’ motion for summary judgment and granting the Interior Department’s cross-motion for summary judgment in the agency’s favor.

The Bureau of Land Management in June 2022 auctioned 173 parcels for oil and gas drilling in seven states after a 2021 court order required the administration to lift its ...