The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Uinta Basin Railway was issued in 2021 and environmental lawsuits soon followed. The Surface Transportation Board stated in their decision that as with other rail projects, the Uinta Basin Railway is likely to produce unavoidable environmental impacts but found that with extensive mitigation conditions imposed, those impacts would be minimized to a practical extent. Not agreeing with this approach, a federal appeals court decision issued last week has partially struck down that 2021 approval. Utah Senator Mike Lee is among those who has made a public statement opposing the court’s decision. “This blow against the Uinta Basin project represents a missed opportunity for our communities to thrive,” stated Senator Lee. “The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the accompanying Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project were both thorough and exhaustive in their evaluations, so this decision is a needless setback for Utah. The Uinta Basin Railway is not just about American energy: it’s about jobs, economic growth, and the prosperity of our great state. It is deeply concerning to see decisions that appear more influenced by ‘woke environmentalism’ rather than grounded, data-driven evaluations. This undermines the integrity of our regulatory process and stifles innovation,” he concludes. Senator Lee stated that he will be working with Senate colleagues, Utah’s leaders, and all relevant agencies to ensure this project moves forward promptly.
