Local Time :: 9:39 AM AKDT
Lat/Lon :: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Temperature :: 36 °F / 2 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Windchill :: 36 °F / 2 °C
Humidity :: 93%
Dew Point :: 34 °F / 1 °C
Wind: Calm
Pressure: 29.72 in / 1006 hPa (Steady)
Visibility: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV: 1 out of 16
Clouds: Clear (Above Ground Level)
Elevation: 33 ft / 10 m
Polar habitats may affect drilling (click title to entry, thank you)
New 5:15AM Wednesday Oct 08, 2008
The United States Government will designate "critical habitat" for polar bears off Alaska's coast, a decision that could add restrictions to future offshore petroleum exploration or drilling.
Federal law prohibits agencies from taking actions that may adversely modify critical habitat and interfere with polar bear recovery. That was likely to affect oil and gas activity, said Kassie Siegel of the Centre for Biological Diversity, one of three groups that sued to force the critical habitat designation.
"Other than global warming, the worst thing that's going on in polar bear habitat right now is oil development and the potential for oil spills," Siegel said.
Bruce Woods, a spokesman for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, said it was not known what area in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast might be designated for polar bears, given that areas now covered by ice might in the future be open water.
The agreement to designate critical habitat was filed yesterday as part of a partial settlement of a lawsuit brought by Greenpeace, the Natural Resources Defence Council and Siegel's group....
