A pipe is capped off while undergoing a pressure test Oct. 16 near Murphy Creek in Aurora. Officials at Houston-based ConocoPhillips plan to suspend drilling efforts in Aurora this year amidst a drastic drop in crude oil prices, following the lead of an energy industry slowdown nationwide. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)

DENVER | Environmental organizations requested on Thursday that a judge overturn the sale of drilling rights on public land in Colorado and Utah, arguing that the current administration failed to take into account the potential threat to public health and the environment.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Denver federal court, looks to reverse oil and gas leases on 184 square miles of land. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management sold the leases without properly reviewing how much air pollution the drilling would cause, according to the lawsuit.

The Bureau of Land Management declined to comment.

The lawsuit was filed by Rocky Mountain Wild, National Parks Conservation Association, Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians. The groups contend that drilling would worsen ground-level ozone in the area.

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