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Lawsuit: Extending eagle death permits illegal

A conservation group says it's suing the Obama administration over a new federal rule that allows wind-energy companies to seek approval to kill or injure eagles for 30 years.

The suit from the American Bird Conservancy is expected to be filed Thursday in federal court in San Jose, California. A copy of the complaint was obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The group argues that the rule issued late last year violates federal law. It says the government extended by 25 years the time a company could be authorized to kill eagles without analyzing the consequences.

The wind energy industry sought the change to reduce its liability. An AP investigation last year documented dozens of eagle deaths at wind farms, findings confirmed by federal biologists.