ANCHORAGE - The federal government’s Minerals Management Service put its rubber stamp on a plan today that allows Shell Oil to drill in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea as early as next summer. MMS approved Shell’s exploratory drilling plan without a full analysis of its potentially significant effects on wildlife and Alaska Native subsistence, already threatened by climate change, and despite a lack of fundamental scientific information about the region.

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced today it is calling on the Inspector General to conduct an investigation into an unprecedented deal on oil shale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) leases for a select few companies during the final days of the Bush administration. The Wilderness Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Western Resource Advocates are encouraged by this announcement that should improve the process and accountability of decisions on land leases.

Conservation groups today applauded a new report from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that points to flaws in a December 2009 Utah oil and gas lease sale. The report indicates that among the BLM’s shortcomings was a failure to inform the National Park Service of a last-ditch effort that added more tracts of land to the lease sale.

“We are extremely heartened that the Department of the Interior is acknowledging that there were important errors that need to be fixed in this lease sale,” said Nada Culver, Legal Counsel at The Wilderness Society.

By Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows