A federal court ruled the Trump administration illegally froze Obama-era requirements aimed at reducing the amount of natural gas from federal land wasted through venting, flaring, and leaking.
The Interior Department postponement of the effective date of the regulations “is not entitled to deference,” the court said.
In delaying the requirements, Interior’s Bureau of Land Management relied on the Section 705 “administrative stay” provision of the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows agencies to postpone the effectiveness of rules that are the subject of litigation.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California agreed with plaintiffs, including California, New ...