WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court backed a multibillion-dollar oil railroad expansion in Utah on Thursday, endorsing a limited interpretation of a key environmental law.
The unanimous decision comes after an appeal to the high court from backers of the project, which is aimed at quadrupling oil production in the remote area of sandstone and sagebrush. The backers said limiting the scope of environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act would speed up development.
The case centers on the Uinta Basin Railway, a proposed 88-mile (142-kilometer) expansion that would connect oil and gas producers to the broader rail network, allowing them to access larger markets.
The justices reversed a lower court decision and restored a critical approval from federal regulators on the Surface Transportation Board. The project could still face additional legal and regulatory hurdles.
Environmental groups and a Colorado county had argued that regulators must consider a broad range of potential impacts when they consider new development.