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November 2, 2005
Contact: Linda Krop: (805) 963-1622
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
APPEALS OFFSHORE OIL RULING
Secretary of Interior Objects to Court Judgment Requiring
Full Environmental Review For Oil Lease Extensions
Santa Barbara, California - The United States Secretary of the Interior has
filed a Notice of Appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging
the August 31, 2005 district court ruling that the federal government may
not extend 37 oil and gas leases located off the coast of Santa Barbara,
Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties until the government conducts a full
analysis of all of the impacts that may result from future development of
the leases.
"The Bush Administration is once again refusing to follow the law
in its aggressive pursuit of additional oil and gas development off the
California coast," lamented Linda Krop, Chief Counsel for the
Environmental Defense Center (EDC), one of the attorneys who represented
ten environmental organizations during the successful litigation before the
federal district court. "The law is clear that the government must
publicly disclose all of the potential impacts and risks that will occur if
these leases are developed over the next 25 years. Extending these leases
will result in increased risks of oil spills, as well as additional air and
water pollution, and conflicts with our coastal tourism, recreation and
fishing industries."
These leases were originally sold between 1968 and 1984, but have never
been developed. In 1999, the leases were extended without any environmental
review. The EDC and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) represented
several environmental groups in litigation challenging the extension of the
leases. In 2002, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the environmental
groups, directing the federal government to conduct an assessment of
potential environmental impacts before extending the leases. Last year, the
government approved Environmental Assessments rather than full
Environmental Impact Statements, and concluded that extending the leases
would not result in any significant impacts. This conclusion was based on
the government's refusal to consider future development activities on the
leases. In her August 31, 2005 ruling, federal District Court Judge Claudia
Wilken ruled that the federal government must consider all of the potential
impacts that may occur if the leases are extended, including impacts from
future development, production, and abandonment.
The EDC and NRDC represented NRDC, League for Coastal Protection, Sierra
Club, Get Oil Out!, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, The Otter Project,
Defenders of Wildlife, Surfrider Foundation, Environment California, and
Citizens Planning Association in the District Court case.
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