Forest Service pulls right-of-way permit that would have allowed construction of Utah oil railroad

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn its approval of a right-of-way permit that would have allowed the construction of a railroad project through about 12 miles of roadless protected forest in northeastern Utah. The decision Wednesday about the Ashley National Forest follows a U.S. appeals court ruling in August that struck down a critical approval involving the Uinta Basin Railway. The proposed 88-mile railroad line would connect oil and gas producers in rural Utah to the broader rail network and larger markets. The Washington, D.C.-based appeals court has ruled that an environmental impact statement and biological opinion were rushed and violated federal laws.