"An Oil Giant Railroads Its SCOTUS Connection To Gut Environmental Law"

"A fossil fuel tycoon tied to Neil Gorsuch and other corporate power brokers are pushing the Supreme Court to help approve a controversial oil train and kill environmental protections."

"A fossil fuel giant with deep ties to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, along with other powerful pro-business groups, are explicitly pressuring Gorsuch and his fellow justices to rule in favor of oil and gas interests in an upcoming Supreme Court case.

If the high court agrees, not only could it help authorize a controversial crude oil train running alongside a critical waterway, it could also invalidate the constitutionality of one of the country’s preeminent environmental laws.

Petitioners in the case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colo., are challenging an environmental review process that’s holding up an 88-mile rail line project designed to transport crude oil just feet away from a fragile Colorado River tributary that 40 million people rely on — and where an oil spill could be catastrophic.

The Anschutz Exploration Corporation — a Denver-based oil and gas company whose owner, Philip Anschutz, helped get Gorsuch appointed to a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals position in 2006 — is one of the largest oil producers in the region the proposed rail line would serve. If approved, the rail line would be a boon for Anschutz’s company."

Freddy Brewster reports for Lever News October 4, 2024.

Source: Lever News, 10/11/2024