The Supreme Court will consider reinstating a critical approval for a rail project in eastern Utah

By MARK SHERMAN and MEAD GRUVER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to consider reviving a critical approval for a railroad project that would carry crude oil and boost fossil fuel production in rural eastern Utah. The justices said Monday they’ll review an appeals court ruling that overturned the approval issued by the Surface Transportation Board for the Uinta Basin Railway. Arguments will be in the fall. The 88-mile rail line would connect oil and gas producers in rural Utah to the broader rail network, allowing them to access larger markets and sell to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico. The line’s supporters say it’d be a boon to rural Utah. Opponents including a Colorado county worry about environmental harm.