Attorneys help oil company navigate complex permitting process, then win third-party lawsuit
Our client, an out-of-state oil company, wanted to
conduct a seismic survey of oil and gas deposits within a
110-mile-square section of Florida's Big Cypress National
Preserve. The Big Cypress National Preserve is a unit of the
National Park system, where most of the oil and gas interests are
privately owned. To conduct the survey, our client needed National
Park Service (NPS) approval.
We represented the oil company in the contentious permitting
process, which lasted more than two years. Outside third-parties,
including the Natural Resources Defense Council, opposed granting
our client a permit. Ultimately, the NPS approved the survey,
finding that it was unlikely to cause any significant or lasting
environmental impacts.
Several environmental organizations then filed a lawsuit in the
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. In that
lawsuit, which challenged the legality of the NPS's approval,
we represented the oil company as intervening defendant. In a
lengthy opinion, the U.S. District Court ruled for the defendants
on all issues. The court found that, in granting its approval, the
NPS complied with all applicable laws —its own regulations,
the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species
Act. It also rejected the opponents' arguments that the survey
would cause significant harm.
This was a significant victory given the prevalence of adverse
media coverage that sought to reduce the complicated legal issues
involved to soundbites. The matter demonstrated our ability to
represent companies in complex and challenging environmental
permitting processes, and then successfully defend the permit
approvals against third-party challenges.
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