A federal judge has ruled the Interior Department failed to consider the environmental impact of oil and gas leasing in the Western U.S. states, which is a violation of U.S. law, the Washington Post reports.
The Tuesday decision by Judge Rudolph Contreras for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is the first to challenge the Trump administration’s plans to boost fossil fuel production.
In his decision, Contreras said the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management “did not sufficiently consider climate change” when it decided to auction off federal land in Wyoming that would be used for gas and oil drilling.
The ruling will at least temporarily protect 300,000 acres of Wyoming land from drilling. Fortune contacted Interior officials for comment on whether a Trump administration appeal is pending.
The case was brought by two advocacy groups, WildEarth Guardians and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
President Donald Trump has made significant changes to environmental protections in the last two years. The Environmental Protection Agency has undone Obama administration regulations on coal and automobile emissions, according to National Geographic. The president in 2017 also approved construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
Recent reports suggest the president plans to open federal waters to oil and gas drilling, including off the East Coast in the Atlantic Ocean, Reuters reports.
When Fortune asked about the Trump administration’s oil-drilling plans, Joe Balash, assistant secretary for land and minerals management at Interior, said in a statement: “President Trump has given clear direction that he wants to safely secure additional domestic energy from public lands on behalf of the American people… that will result in more jobs and economic growth, make America safer, benefit state and local conservation programs, and improve infrastructure.”
