A federal judge ruled on Jan. 12 that an exploratory project for helium can proceed in Emery County, rejecting claims by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance that federal land managers failed to appropriately weigh its potential impacts.

Judge Rudolph Contreras stated that because of the supply shortage of helium, the benefits of the Bowknot Project next to the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness outweigh any potential environmental impacts.

Contreras also noted that the proposed water use by the project is minimal, amounting to 0.002% of total water use in Emery County. He also noted that all required water would come from existing municipal water rights.

Groups against the project, including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance contend the project is happening too close to the wilderness area and that it was rushed in the waning days of the Trump administration.