California Drilling Project Approval Wiped Out by Ninth Circuit

The US Forest Service unlawfully fast-tracked an exploratory drilling project on public lands near Mammoth Lakes, Calif., the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday, reversing a lower court’s green light of the decision.

The agency failed to prepare the required environmental impact statements or enviromental analysis, the opinion by Judge Roopali H. Desai said. “The agency thus failed to take the requisite ‘hard look’ at the proposed action that NEPA requires.”

The Forest Service authorized Kore Mining Ltd. to conduct mineral exploration drilling, road construction and reconstruction, and other ground-disturbing operations on public lands in Mono County, along the Nevada border south ...