US judge suspends Alaska Cook Inlet lease, pending additional environmental review

Published July 17, 2024 12:40 PM

Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge has suspended the lease stemming from a 2022 oil and gas sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet basin after finding problems with the environmental review it was based on. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed in its analysis of the impact of ship noise on Cook Inlet beluga whales. Gleason suspended the lease issued in the sale pending a supplemental environmental review that addresses the issues she identified. Hilcorp Alaska LLC was the successful bidder in that sale. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The Associated Press

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