Gunnison Energy Says US Unlawfully Withholding Drill Permits

The US Bureau of Land Management failed to process Gunnison Energy LLC’s drill permit applications for a development project in western Colorado, the company said in a federal complaint.

The agency can approve drill permits even though approval of the full project was vacated while the additional environmental analysis is conducted, the energy company said in a complaint on Monday. The agency’s failure to respond to the permit applications within 30 days violates the Mineral Leasing Act,the suit said.

Gunnison says that the cost could exceed $43 million if it’s forced to abandon its operations, and asked the court to ...