The Utah Supreme Court unanimously upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss the youths' case. But the justices opened the door for them to file a new challenge.
“The decision opens a clear path forward for continuing our challenge to the state’s actions in promoting fossil fuel development,” said Andrew Welle, lead attorney for the youth through the nonprofit law firm Our Children’s Trust, in a statement Thursday.
“We won the vital ruling that no agency in Utah is required to authorize fossil fuel activities at the expense of children’s health,” he continued. “The state has full discretion to deny fossil fuel permits and say ‘no more’ to the industry. The state can fully embrace its renewable energy potential and leave its children a legacy of health.”
The group of young people sued the state in 2022. They argued that Utah’s energy policies that support the development of fossil fuels — like oil, gas and coal — violate their constitutional right to life and health.
Burning fossil fuels has been proven to produce emissions that warm the planet and pollutants that can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
A district court judge dismissed the case later in 2022, but the teens appealed that decision. The Utah Supreme Court agreed to hear their appeal in 2023, and oral arguments took place last year.
Read the full report at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.