A coalition of environmental groups is suing the federal government over the approval of oil and gas drilling permits in northwestern New Mexico.
The groups filed their lawsuit Wednesday as they prepared to rally at the State Capitol. They contend that more development and hydraulic fracturing could harm the environment and sites such as the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The suit names the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Interior Department.
The BLM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agency is in the process of updating its management plan for the San Juan Basin in the face of an expected shale oil boom, and the groups have been pushing the agency to stop approving new drilling permits until the plan is in place.
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