Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 6
A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 26 september
Judge restores energy lease on Montana land sacred to tribes
By MATTHEW BROWN Obama-era lease cancel- you waited too long."
Associated Press lation in court were review- Because the lease had
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A ing the ruling, which was is- been under a longstand-
judge reinstated an oil and sued late Monday, U.S. Jus- ing suspension when it was
gas lease on land in north- tice Department spokes- canceled, its status after
western Montana consid- man Wyn Hornbuckle said the ruling was uncertain.
ered sacred to some tribes Tuesday. He declined to Interior Department repre-
in the U.S. and Canada comment on a potential sentatives did not immedi-
— a ruling that could test appeal. ately respond to questions
the depths of the Trump Solenex has held the lease about the lease's status.
administration's support for for more than 30 years. It Pendley and Preso specu-
the energy industry. had not yet drilled because lated that the lease would
President Barack Obama's of numerous bureaucratic remain suspended, mean-
Interior Department im- delays within the U.S. de- ing drilling could not begin
properly canceled the partments of Interior and pending further action by
nearly 10-square-mile Agriculture that prompted the court or government
(26-square-kilometer) lease the company to sue in officials. The Badger-Two
adjacent to Glacier Na- 2013. Medicine area is part of the
tional Park in 2016, U.S. Dis- An attorney for conserva- Rocky Mountain Front, a
trict Judge Richard Leon in tion groups and members scenic expanse of forested
Washington, D.C., said this In this March 25, 2016, file photo, the sun sets over the Badger- of the Blackfeet tribe who mountains that's been sub-
week. Two Medicine area near Browning, Mont. intervened in the case said ject to a long campaign to
Solenex LLC of Baton Associated Press it was frustrating to have block oil and gas develop-
Rouge, Louisiana, holds the lease reinstated given ment and mining.
the lease and wants to drill pany proceed with drilling. the government is agree- how long it took to get it Congress in 2006 provided
for gas. It's within the Bad- He argued that a failure ing you have a right to drill." canceled. tax breaks and other in-
ger Two-Medicine area of to reverse the Obama ad- Interior Secretary Ryan Zin- "Conservationists and cer- centives that prompted 29
Lewis and Clark National ministration decision would ke has made energy devel- tainly the Blackfeet have leaseholders to relinquish
Forest — site of the creation leave all oil and gas leases opment a top priority. Zinke been screaming at the their drilling rights, but some
story of the Blackfoot tribes granted under Trump in last year recommended government for years that leaseholders declined the
of southern Canada and danger of being ended un- designating the Badger- this lease was illegal," attor- offers. Fifteen leases in the
Montana's Blackfeet Na- der future presidents. Two Medicine as a national ney Tim Preso said. "Unfor- area were given up volun-
tion. "The right to drill on these monument, but that would tunately, the government tarily by Devon Energy in
Solenex attorney William leases cannot be denied," not automatically bar drill- had not responded in a 2016, and the government
Perry Pendley urged Presi- Pendley said. "This is a prop- ing. timely fashion and when canceled what had been
dent Donald Trump's ad- erty right, and it's well set- Government attorneys they did get around to the last two leases in the
ministration to let the com- tled: When you get a lease, who had defended the canceling it, the court says area last year.q