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A bearded seal pup on the Arctic ice. PHOTO COURTESY NOAA.
Obama administration under political pressure to permit new drilling in fragile Arctic Ocean ecosystem; public comment taken through Feb. 13
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Federal officials say plans to drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska will cause only “minor to moderate” impacts to rare bowhead and beluga whales — despite the potential for another spill on the scale of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and no good way to clean it up.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a draft environmental impact statement on the drilling plan just before Christmas, outlining the potential impacts, as well as mitigation measures that could be implemented to minimize effects on the marine environment. The draft EIS is open for public comment through Feb. 13. All the documents for the project are online here. (more…)
Filed under: endangered species, energy, Environment, federal government, Marine biology, oil drilling, Summit County news | Tagged: Arctic oil drilling, Beluga whales, bowhead whales, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Chukchi Sea, Deepwater horizon oil spill, Environment, Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 1 Comment »
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