DENVER — A judge is considering whether the federal government followed environmental regulations when deciding to drill for natural gas on Colorado's Roan Plateau.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger heard arguments Tuesday in Denver in the lawsuit that dates back to 2008. She said she would rule as soon as possible.
Lawyers argued over whether the Bureau of Land Management considered alternative drilling sites on the plateau and whether they adequately assessed environmental impacts of a plan projected up to 1,570 wells over 20 years.
The BLM says the plan was developed after years of study and public input.
The BLM auctioned leases on the land in 2008, when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was a senator representing Colorado. He was critical of the plan then but is now a defendant in the case.