A coalition of 13 states filed one lawsuit in federal court in Louisiana, while Wyoming filed a its own lawsuit in federal court in that state. The states joining Louisiana’s suit included Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
Biden, a Democrat, in January signed an executive order putting on hold new leasing on federal lands pending a policy review. The U.S. Interior Department, which oversees the federal oil and gas program, is set to launch a review of the federal oil and gas leasing program on Thursday, a key step that will determine whether the administration will permanently halt new leases.
The department declined to comment on the litigation. 29dk2902l