A federal judge ruled an Interior Department agency improperly approved an expansion of a coal mine in southeastern Montana and ordered a new environmental assessment to be completed within eight months (WildEarth Guardians v. Office of Surface Mining, D. Mont., 14-13-BLG-SPW, 1/21/16).
Judge Susan P. Watters of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana Jan. 21 adopted a magistrate’s finding that the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement violated the public participation and notice provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act by not notifying the public of a Finding of No Significant Impact of ...