Posted on 07/08/2008 9:43:23 PM PDT by Fred
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn new federal regulations that grants permission to oil companies working in the Chukchi Sea to disturb the polar bears and walrus that live there.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, challenges regulations issued last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allow "incidental takes" of the animals, meaning permission to disturb or accidentally harass them as long as such actions do not result in physical injury or death.
Tuesday's lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment, is the latest volley in legal challenges over protections for polar bears and other animals from expanded oil development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska.
"It may seem like we're filing a lot of lawsuits," said Brendan Cummings, oceans program director for the center.
"But the fundamental thing is they're all really focusing on the same fundamental issue, which is protecting polar bear habitat in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas."
A spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service declined to comment on Tuesday's lawsuit but defended the incidental-take regulations, which are meant to be in effect for five years.
"We believe that the incidental-take regulations are a valuable conservation tool," said Bruce Woods, spokesman for the service's Alaska headquarters.
Polar bears were listed in May as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and a petition is pending that would give similar protections to the Pacific walrus.
The remote and ice-choked Chukchi, which lies between northwestern Alaska and northeastern Siberia, is emerging as a hot oil prospect.
After many years of scant industry activity, Royal Dutch
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Can we propose a ban on environmentalists disturbing my life?
Ping.
I imagine that the good Governor is prepared to counter these idiots.
Past time for open season on polar bears.
People first animals and plants last!!!!
Environuts!
I think we should start killing and rendering all environmentalists for the oil they contain....
Oil at $400 per barrel soon.
They aren't full of anything but crap.
It’s them or us. I say we remove their carbon footprint, before they remove ours.
Shouldn’t these clowns be feeding themselves to the Polar Bears rather than causing a footprint??
We should be able to sue them for harrassment lawsuits.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
The power to file third party lawsuits has made environmentalists the fifth branch of government. This situation is absurb. The environmentalists are not harmed by the actions of the oil companies. We have government agencies who are responsible for implementing laws passed by Congress. Until Congress takes away the power to file third party lawsuits, we will have environmental obstructionism. With this global warming hysteria, third party lawsuits will cause an energy meltdown even if we get a reasonable energy policy with more drilling and more refineries.
WE CAN TRY.
I’ve been in that area and the Polar bears don’t even like it.
This needs to be given as much publicity as possible, that with oil at $140 a barrel, this is what the left cares about.
They leak CO2 and crap every time they open their mouth.
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