Oceana Statement on Draft Supplemental EIS for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193 | Oceana

Oceana Statement on Draft Supplemental EIS for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193

Press Release Date: October 14, 2010

Location: Juneau, AK

Contact:

Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter

Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) released a Draft Supplemental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Lease Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea.  The draft was prepared in response to the August court order finding that BOEMRE, formerly Minerals Management Service, had failed to consider the potential impacts of natural gas development in the Chukchi Sea and failed to account properly for missing scientific information.

 

According to Michael LeVine, Pacific Senior Council for Oceana:

 

“This rushed draft shows that the Department of the Interior is not living up to its commitment to bring science back to decision-making about our oceans.  Rather than make a serious effort to understand the potential impacts of oil and gas drilling in the Chukchi Sea and how best to plan for industrial activities there, Secretary Salazar and BOEMRE are trying to paper over the lack of basic scientific information about the ocean. 

 

We should commit the relatively small amount of time and money necessary to understand the ocean before we make decisions that put it at risk.  Unfortunately, BOEMRE is simply relying on the outdated analyses, rather than ensuring basic information and response capabilities are in place before drilling occurs.

 

While we, as Alaskans, understand the importance of keeping oil flowing in the pipeline, we are not being given enough information to make good decisions about how to do that safely for our oceans and communities.  We hope that Secretary Salazar reconsiders this draft.  It is not too late to move us forward toward better understanding and sustainable management instead of continuing to follow failed policies and bad decisions from the previous administration.”

 

#####

 

Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Our teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates win specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life. Global in scope and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North America (Anchorage, AK; Juneau, AK; Portland, OR; Monterey, CA; New York, NY; Washington, DC), Europe (Madrid, Spain; Brussels, Belgium) and South America (Santiago, Chile).  More than 300,000 members and e-activists in over 150 countries have already joined Oceana.