A federal judge in Nevada heard arguments this week on whether the Bureau of Land Management improperly transferred roughly 2,062 acres of public land to Atlantic Richfield Company at no cost, a decision that three conservation groups say violated environmental law and undervalued the property.
U.S. District Judge Miranda Du considered the case after Great Basin Resource Watch, Prayer Horse Inc., and Taboosi Dikudu NO’Obatu Numma Cooperative filed suit in May 2026, challenging a BLM decision made the same month to convey the land near the Anaconda mine site near Yerington in Lyon County, Nevada. The transfer included all mineral and estate rights.
Valuation and Environmental Review
The BLM determined the land had no fair market value because of contamination and cleanup requirements at the site. Prior to contamination, the agency assessed the property’s fair market value at $760,000. The agency concluded the sale would have no significant environmental impact and therefore did not conduct a full environmental impact study under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Public access to the site was restricted in 2005 for health and safety reasons. Atlantic Richfield Company, now responsible for cleanup along with BP America (which purchased the original owner, ARCO, in 1980), first requested the land transfer and mineral rights in 2017. The BLM found the site has high potential for locatable mineral resources.
The Legal Challenge
The conservation groups challenging the transfer assert that the BLM failed to justify why the sale was necessary and improperly calculated the land’s value. They also argue the agency violated environmental law by not analyzing third-party mining plans in its environmental assessment. Lion Copper and Gold Corp, along with its wholly owned subsidiary Singatse Peak Services LLC, have developed mining proposals for the Anaconda site.
John Hadder, representing the conservation groups, highlighted a key question posed during oral arguments: whether the land transfer would actually make cleanup more efficient. “We’re hoping that we’ll get a favorable hearing, and the preliminary injunction will be granted,” he said, referring to the groups’ request to block the transfer temporarily while the litigation proceeds.
The transfer was scheduled to be completed by the end of July 2026. Kimberly Dow, district manager for the BLM Nevada Carson City District Office, oversaw the transaction.
What Happens Next
Judge Du’s ruling on whether to issue a preliminary injunction could determine whether the land sale proceeds as scheduled or is halted pending the outcome of the full case. The injunction decision typically addresses whether the plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success on the merits, whether they face irreparable harm without the court’s intervention, and whether the balance of equities favors blocking the transfer.
The litigation centers on the BLM’s discretion to transfer federal land and whether the agency properly weighed environmental concerns and public interest in making that determination. The case touches on longstanding tensions over public land management in the West, where mining interests, conservation groups, and federal land managers often clash over the best use of federal property.
