Pawnee Nation Sues U.S. Claiming Oil, Gas Well Leases on Tribal Land Were Improperly Approved

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The Pawnee Nation on Nov. 18 filed a lawsuit against two federal agencies. The suit mentions the 5.8-magnitude Labor Day weekend quake asks “a judge to void recently approved drilling permits on tribal land and halt the issuance of new ones,” the World reports.

Pawnee Nation sues U.S. claiming oil, gas well leases on tribal land were improperly approved

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Tulsa federal court, claims numerous drilling permits and leases on tribal-owned lands held in trust have been improperly approved by the Interior Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Bureau of Land Management.