WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The BOEM presented a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes "the possible environmental impacts of oil and gas development in the federal submerged lands of Cook Inlet, off Alaska’s southcentral coast."
BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper said the study identified mitigations to protect sensitive species that could be impacted by the lease sales.
The area identified for the potential lease sale avoids nearly all of the areas designated as critical habitat for the beluga whale and the northern sea otter; avoids the critical habitat for the Steller sea lion; and excludes much of the subsistence-use area for three Native villages, the statement explained.
The terms of the proposed lease sale could be cancelled or revised by the new administration as President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to lift all environmental bans and limits on drilling for oil and natural gas.
