Forest Service pulls Uinta Basin Railway’s special use permit, halting approval of project trying to ship waxy crude oil along Colorado River
Opponents of the railway were concerned about train derailment near headwaters of Colorado River.
Vail Daily archive
The U.S. Forest Service withdrew its record of decision and amendment that would have allowed the Utah Seven County Infrastructure Coalition to build and operate a railway on 12 miles of National Forest System lands on Jan. 17.
The activity required a project-specific Forest Plan amendment to reflect the railway’s visual impact on the landscape in order to move forward.
The Uinta Basin Railway project has faced significant backlash from Colorado communities and organizations, including Grand County’s chapter of Trout Unlimited. The withdrawal of the permit is a victory for opponents of the railway who say the approval process “did not properly account for the project’s full risks.”
“A derailment along the headwaters of the Colorado River could have catastrophic effects for Colorado’s communities, water, and environment. I’m glad the Forest Service has taken this important step to protect the Colorado River and the tens of millions of people who depend on it,” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said.
In August, a federal circuit court overruled the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the project. In December, the court denied a petition to listen to the case again and halted the project. This decision led the Forest Service to withdraw its permit since its initial decision to allow the project to move forward relied on the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental review.
Support Local Journalism
“Early last year, Senator Bennet and I called on the U.S. Forest Service to complete a thorough review of the destructive impact the Uinta Basin Railway Project would have on Colorado’s local communities and environment,” U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse said.
If completed, the proposed Uinta Basin Railway Project could ship 4.6 billion gallons of waxy crude oil per year through the Ashley National Forest and Colorado. This includes over 100 miles directly alongside the headwaters of the Colorado River.
The Grand County Commissioners formally opposed the railway in February 2023 citing environmental risks in the event of a derailment.
The railway would have allowed oil and gas producers in rural Utah to access the broader rail network and larger markets to ultimately sell to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico.
“This is such important and positive news for all of us on the Western Slope. Our communities rely on the Colorado River for our agriculture production, outdoor recreation economy, and for the pristine beauty of our environment. With this river already under threat from climate change and overuse in the lower basin, the additional threat of hot crude oil transport along the river was severely concerning to the bipartisan group of Western Slope state lawmakers and the constituents we represent,” Sen. Dylan Roberts said.
This story is from SkyHiNews.com
