In a letter sent to U.S. Interior Sec. Sally Jewell today, U.S. Sen.’s Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Don Young of Alaska conveyed support for a robust 2017-2022 offshore oil and gas leasing program that maintains the three proposed Alaska lease sales in the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Cook Inlet, accelerates their timing, […]
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White House Announces Sept. 28 Date for Arctic Science Ministerial
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren today announced that the Obama Administration will host the inaugural Arctic Science Ministerial on Wednesday, September 28. The Ministerial was announced in a March 2016 U.S. – Canada Joint Statement on Climate, Energy, and Arctic Leadership.
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U.S.-Nordic Nations Issue Statement Committing to Arctic Precautionary Approach
In a joint statement issued today, the U.S., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden among other things stressed a commitment to managing the Arctic region in an ecosystem-based approach, which the statement says “balances conservation and sustainable use of the environment,” as well as working toward the “highest global standards, best international practice, and a […]
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Interior Dept.: Current Structural Designs Successful under Extreme Arctic Conditions
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement today announced the completion of a study conducted with the University of Alaska Anchorage which found that current offshore structural designs can successfully survive sea ice demands under extreme Arctic conditions.
Interior Dept. Announces New Findings from Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network Study
In the April 2016 edition of Science Notes released today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced new findings from last year’s field activities related to the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network study.
BOEM Chart Highlights Multi-Year Public Process for Offshore Oil & Gas Activity
As this Bureau of Ocean Energy Management chart illustrates, multiple rounds of public and environmental reviews occur before production can take place at the offshore oil and gas leasing program, individual lease sale, exploration, and development and production phases. With the federal government already having removed over 42 million acres of Alaskan offshore waters in […]
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Interior Dept. Announces Proposed 2017-2022 Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing Program
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced a Proposed 2017-2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program that includes three proposed lease sales in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea (2020), Cook Inlet (2021), and Chukchi Sea (2022). In doing so, the Interior Dept. also seeks comments on whether to maintain the proposed lease sales in the […]
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U.S. and Canada Announce Commitment to “World-Class” Arctic Development Standard
In a joint statement released today, among other things the U.S. and Canada committed to setting a “world-class standard by basing Arctic development decisions and operations on scientific evidence,” adding that commercial activities including oil and gas exploration and development “will only occur when the highest safety and environmental standards are met.”
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Interior Dept. Cancels Arctic Lease Sales, Denies Arctic Lease Suspension Requests
The Interior Department today announced that it is cancelling Arctic offshore oil and gas lease sales that had been proposed for the Chukchi (2016) and Beaufort (2017) Seas. In addition, it also announced the denial of two requests for Arctic lease extensions.
Former Colonel: We Should Be “Increasing Our Commitment” to the Arctic
Former Army Colonel David Hunt editorialized recently about the growing strategic threat posed by an expansionist Russia in the Arctic. While the Obama administration continues to implement policies in a way that does not adequately address and further America’s security and economic interests, the Russian military continues to jeopardize our national security by pulling off one […]
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