ELR Citation: 55 ELR 20123
No(s). 24-1024 (D.C. Cir. Aug 29, 2025)

The D.C. Circuit denied environmental groups' challenge to DOI's approval of a five-year schedule for oil and gas leasing on the outer continental shelf (OCS). The groups argued the approval violated the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) because DOI inadequately assessed risks posed to vulnerable coastal communities, excluded the endangered Rice's whale from the environmental sensitivity analysis, overlooked potential conflicts with other present and anticipated ocean uses, and fell short of balancing projected benefits against environmental costs. The court found that while OCSLA required DOI to consider interrelated factors and weigh competing costs and benefits of leasing across OCS regions, it did not require analytical perfection. The court concluded DOI satisfied OCSLA because it considered relevant environmental and economic factors, applied its methodology consistently, and reasonably declined to adopt the groups' preferred species-specific weighting. It denied the petition to review.