STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THEIR PREVIOUS ACTION
Many of these youth were also part of Natalie R. v. State of Utah, a youth-led case in which the Utah Supreme Court offered them a path to challenge specific state actions that promote fossil fuel development. The Court acknowledged the scale of fossil fuel extraction in Utah and clarified that, to receive meaningful relief, the plaintiffs needed to target particular government conduct.
Today’s lawsuit heeds that guidance, and the youth are now challenging over 300 permits issued by the Utah Board of Oil, Gas, and Mining and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining that:
Allow dangerous air pollution without assessing full impacts on health and climate
Ignore safer, cleaner alternatives like wind and solar energy
Endanger Utah youth while claiming to meet energy needs that could be fulfilled more safely and affordably
