US court halts Arctic oil drilling for review

[demoleft]

Source: afp

AFP - A US judge has ordered a halt to offshore oil and gas drilling off the north coast of Alaska for further environmental review, the plaintiffs in the case said.

An environmental coalition represented by the group Earthjustice said the court in the Alaskan capital of Anchorage ruled Wednesday that the government "failed to meet its obligation under the law to analyze the importance of missing basic scientific information about the Chukchi Sea" prior to offering leases in the sea.

"We have long argued that more science, more data and more research is needed in the sensitive waters of the Arctic Ocean before oil and gas lease sales or drilling are allowed to occur," said Erik Grafe, an attorney at Earthjustice.

"Federal agencies have a basic obligation under the law to fully assess missing information about potential impacts of their actions, and to obtain it if they can, before they act. In this case, the court decided that the Minerals Management Service did not meet its obligation before it issued oil and gas leases in the Chukchi Sea."

Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20100722-us-court-halts-arctic-oil-drilling-review

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this is from july 14, earthjustice.org:

Offshore Drilling Reform Must Not Leave Alaska Out In The Cold
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2010/offshore-drilling-reform-must-not-leave-alaska-out-in-the-cold

[ladywnch]

1. cue Sarah and the 'drill baby drill' crowd for full outrage. n/t

[Zoeisright]

3. Shouldn't that be 'poutrage'?

;)

[MBS]

2. thank goodness for a judge with good sense, and sense of responsibility n/t