On July 2, 2019, WildEarth Guardians, High Country Conservation Advocates, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and Wilderness Workshop sued the U.S. Department of the Interior (the Secretary, ASLM and OSM) for recommending and approving a mining plan modification at the West Elk Mine near Somerset, Colorado. The plaintiffs allege that the Department failed to analyze alternatives to reduce methane pollution from the expansion of the mine, failed to provide documentation supporting adoption of the leasing supplemental final environmental impact statement (SFEIS), failed to take a hard look at the cumulative impacts to climate and failed to take a hard look at impacts to water resources and fish
Court remanded for further consideration of methane flaring and impacts to water and fish and vacated mining plan decision.