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WASHINGTON \u2014 Some already endangered polar bears and their cubs could be legally killed by private oil drilling projects in northern Alaska, according to new proposed regulations. <\/p>\n
The proposed regulation, part of President Trump’s oil leasing plan and awaiting approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, would allow “accidental and unintentional take” of small numbers of majestic polar bears and Pacific walruses by energy companies in critical habitat without legal repercussions. <\/p>\n
\u201cTaking\u201d is a broad legal term that includes all forms of murder and harassment. The proposed rules would not outright allow the killing of animals, but would protect companies from legal prosecution if some bears or walruses die on the job, authorities acknowledged as part of the review.<\/p>\nPolar bear numbers in the Beaufort Sea region are already dangerously low. Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPolar bear cubs can also be abandoned in dangerous environments if their mothers are frightened by drilling activities, while walruses are panicked by human activity and are at risk of being trampled to death by other walruses.<\/p>\n
The proposal is going through the federal regulatory process ahead of an oil and gas lease auction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which is home to more than 300 species including polar bears, caribou, wolves and moose. <\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\nThe auction is scheduled for June 5 and is part of President Trump’s plan to expand oil and gas drilling in Alaska.<\/p>\nA mother polar bear and her cubs are at risk from oil companies seeking to drill in northern Alaska. AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Interior Ministry told the Post that no killings were planned, including of the cubs, but did not rule out killings could take place. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis regulation includes strict mitigation, monitoring and reporting requirements aimed at minimizing impacts and protecting these species while allowing legitimate energy activities to continue,\u201d the official said. <\/p>\n
\u201cLethal harvests, including of polar bears and walrus pups, are not anticipated in the planned operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the lease area includes the Beaufort Sea, an important denning and breeding area for polar bears.<\/p>\nA dead walrus lies on the coast of Alaska. Washington Post (via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnimal rights groups say they fear drilling activity in the area could scare away the mother bear, leaving her cubs orphaned and helpless in the arctic tundra.<\/p>\n
The Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged in its study that “accidental fatalities of polar bear cubs may occur if a female polar bear is unintentionally disturbed by human activity during burrowing season and the female abandons her cubs in the den before the cubs can survive on their own.”<\/p>\n
Polar bear populations in the southern Beaufort Sea are in serious trouble and on the verge of extinction. It declined by about 40% in the 2000s and shows no signs of recovery. There are only about 900 bears in the area.<\/p>\n
Nicole Whittington-Evans, senior director of Alaska and Northwest programs at Defenders of Wildlife, said the deaths of these cubs only further endanger bear populations, despite authorities claiming the impact of such tragedies is “negligible.”<\/p>\n
“The agency’s analysis suggests that the potential for deaths of polar bear cubs in the southern Beaufort Sea from these activities would have a negligible impact on the population as a whole, but this is inaccurate and we dispute this idea,” she said.<\/p>\n
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rules would allow energy companies to disturb animals while drilling, transporting oil or conducting seismic testing.<\/p>\nOil drilling continues in southwestern Alaska. Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOfficials acknowledged that these disturbances could lead to animal deaths. <\/p>\n
“Human actions can lead to the death of polar bears,” the agency said. “Accidental fatalities of walruses can occur if human-induced disturbances occur at walrus salvage sites and walruses are directly hit by ships or trampled by other walruses.”<\/p>\n
But the Fish and Wildlife Service, citing its own research on the issue, wrote that the expected low number of deaths would have “negligible impact on the species.”<\/p>\n
The Alaska Oil and Gas Association petitioned the agency for this rule. <\/p>\n
But the agency did not specifically request “permission to take lethal capture of polar bears or walruses,” spokesman Steve Wojkowski told the Post in a statement.<\/p>\n
“And I don’t think it will be necessary,” he said.<\/p>\n
But including that authorization is “routine” because “the remote possibility of a lethal interaction is always evaluated as part of the regulatory process,” the official said.<\/p>\nThe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 300 species of animals AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPolar bears can be a deadly danger to human workers in the area. <\/p>\n
From mid-July to mid-November, there are large numbers of bears in the area, which means “more opportunities for human-polar bear interactions,” Fish and Wildlife notes.<\/p>\n
To minimize the risk, officials are asking businesses to reduce the number of contacts and develop plans to “prevent polar bears from associating humans with food.”<\/p>\n
If ultimately approved by the agency, the permits for these companies would be valid for five years and protect energy companies from legal liability related to the harm or death of endangered animals, among other things. <\/p>\n
The Trump administration has aggressively promoted energy development and expansion in Alaska. The Bureau of Land Management said the Coastal Plain region could hold between 4.25 billion and 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil.<\/p>\n
The June auction will be the first lease sale in ANWR’s coastal plan approved under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.<\/p>\n
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However, this area is also the country’s largest wildlife sanctuary. Environmental groups have condemned plans to open the site for drilling.<\/p>\n
“Simply put, these new leases will harm and kill polar bears,” Harry Templeton, legal director for Friends of the Earth, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
All told, Alaska is home to between 4,000 and 7,000 polar bears and is the only place in the United States where polar bears live. Polar bears are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, meaning they are likely to become extinct. <\/p>\n
Polar bears have an average lifespan of 15 to 18 years. Adult polar bears have no natural enemies other than other polar bears and humans.<\/p>\n
Walrus sightings in this area are rare, so contact with walruses is expected to be unlikely.<\/p>\n
This animal migrates between Russia and America, so its population is difficult to estimate. Numbers range from 50,000 to 500,000. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
#drilling #project #Alaska #legally #kill #endangered #polar #bears #Trump #administration #proposal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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