Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- Federal authorities have signaled they're working to change how oil shale development is regulated in three Western states.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management indicated in a court filing that it is working to settle a lawsuit over regulations issued during President George W. Bush's administration.
The Bureau was granted a fifth extension to respond to the lawsuit by U.S. District Court Judge John Kane. The government said discussions of a settlement have been "productive," but that the government needs more time.
Conservation groups are challenging the regulations, which could open 1.9 million acres of public land in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah to oil shale development. Kane extended the deadline for negotiations to Nov. 16.
------
Information from: The Daily Sentinel
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
