Lawsuit Challenges Incidental-take Rules Affecting Polar Bears. Pacific Walruses

摘要

New regulations that allow companies exploring for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea to accidentally disrupt polar bears and Pacific walruses were challenged in a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups in federal court in Anchorage on July 8 (Center for Biological Diversity v. Kempthorne, D. Alaska, 3:08-cv-00159-JWS, 7/8/08).rnThe lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, seeks to void the incidental-take regulations issued June 11 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the official studies on which they were based.rnThose regulations, effective for five years, allow companies with letters of authorization to commit accidental, nonlethal disturbances of the animals. Such letters would permit them to disturb the animals without violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.