Eagle County filed a lawsuit in federal court against the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), alleging violations of federal laws related to the approval of a major expansion of the Wildcat Loadout Facility in Utah.
The facility loads crude oil onto trains that travel through Colorado, including Eagle County public and private lands, and along the Colorado River corridor. The lawsuit raises seven claims and challenges the federal agencies’ decision to approve the facility’s expansion using emergency procedures that bypass standard environmental review and public input requirements.
In authorizing the facility’s expansion, BLM relied on an alleged “energy emergency” to fast-track approval of the project, despite the facility having been inactive for years and without any immediate threat to life, property, or natural resources. Eagle County contends that this use of emergency authority unlawfully circumvented the environmental analysis and public engagement required under federal law.
Additionally, the County asserts that the agencies failed to evaluate the full scope of impacts associated with the project. The expansion is expected to increase oil train traffic at the facility by at least 400 percent, and trains will then travel through the Rocky Mountains and along the Colorado River, raising concerns about derailments, oil spills, wildfire risks, and impacts to water resources, public lands, and recreation-based economies.
Eagle County further contends that the federal agencies excluded local governments from the decision-making process, despite prior commitments to engage with affected communities. The County maintains that it was denied the opportunity to provide input on a project with direct implications for its residents, environment, and economy.
Through its lawsuit, Eagle County seeks to overturn the approval of the Wildcat Loadout Facility expansion, prevent the use of unlawful emergency procedures, and halt the anticipated increase in oil train traffic resulting from the project.
“This action is about ensuring that federal agencies follow the law and fully evaluate the impacts of projects that affect our communities,” said County Commissioner Tom Boyd. “Eagle County is committed to protecting our natural resources, public safety, and quality of life, and we’ll do what’s necessary to stand up for those values.”
