CODY, Wyo. (AP) — U.S. officials are proposing to sell 10.5 acres of public land in north-central Wyoming to a Texas energy company.

The Bureau of Land Management said the non-competitive sale of the property in Big Horn County to Dallas-based Merit Energy for about $7,000 is needed to dispose of land that's being used as an unauthorized landfill.

Agency documents indicate the landfill holds waste material from the oil and gas industry and has operated since the 1970s. It would remain open following the sale.

BLM officials said the deal conforms with a March order from Interior Secretary David Berhhardt that requires officials to weigh public access for outdoor recreation when selling federal lands.

They say the land is unusable by the public. The sale would become final after a public comment period.

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