Federal authorities conclude Alaska oil lease assessment omitting public input
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced plans to conduct a supplemental review on environmental harms in Alaska's Cook Inlet, focusing particularly on potential impacts to endangered beluga whales. This development comes after a federal judge in Alaska ordered the supplemental environmental impact statement due to BOEM's violation of environmental laws regarding the cumulative impacts on beluga whales.
The review, scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, was initiated following an order given by the Biden administration in 2021 to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement for the oil and gas leasing program in Alaska's Cook Inlet.
According to NOAA Fisheries, the population of beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet was approximately 331 individuals in 2022. The supplemental review aims to assess the potential harm to these endangered whales from oil and gas activities in the region.
Interestingly, BOEM's decision to not publish a draft version of the analysis for public comment contradicts what the agency said in April. The Federal Register notice about this review is scheduled to be published on Thursday.
The supplemental review is being done by BOEM, which is a part of the Interior Department. However, it has been reported that BOEM will not publish a draft version of the analysis for public comment, a move that has raised concerns among environmentalists and local communities.
This review follows a federal judge's ruling last year, which ordered the supplemental environmental impact statement due to BOEM's violation of environmental laws regarding the cumulative impacts on beluga whales. The decision to exclude a public draft of the analysis has sparked debate and calls for transparency in the decision-making process.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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