Federal Court Halts Alaska Offshore Oil Lease to Protect Endangered Belugas

Judge rules environmental review inadequate, mandates further analysis of impacts on marine life

The court found the Interior Department failed to consider the cumulative impacts on beluga whales and other marine mammals.
The lease sale, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, had opened nearly a million acres of Cook Inlet to oil and gas drilling.
Environmental groups celebrated the decision, calling it a victory for Alaska communities and endangered species.
The ruling requires a supplemental environmental review before any further action can be taken on the lease.
Hilcorp's lease is suspended, pending the outcome of the new environmental review.