Climate damage from oil leases on US land gets second look

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration has reached a legal settlement that requires officials to re-examine potential climate damages from oil and gas leases put up for sale under the Trump administration. The settlement with environmental groups involves public lands in Montana and North Dakota totaling 91 square miles. Similar deals were reached in recent weeks for prior lease sales covering thousands of square miles public lands in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Environmentalists want the Biden administration to curb drilling after climate damages and other future pollution are considered. But the agreements don’t cancel any leases or prevent companies from developing them.