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Late last year, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) conducted a lease sale for Cook Inlet — a vibrant but sensitive ecosystem in southcentral Alaska that’s home to beluga whales, salmon, and sea otters. Despite the fossil fuel industry’s allies bending over backwards to mandate the lease sale in the Inflation Reduction Act, only one company, Hilcorp, placed a single bid on a single lease tract. Hilcorp has a terrible safety record and cannot be allowed to drill in Cook Inlet.
The tepid response to the lease sale is a relief, but this fight is far from over. In an industry full of bad actors with poor safety records, Hilcorp stands out. State and federal records show that Hilcorp has a long history of spills and other accidents in Alaska. This includes a gas leak and multiple oil spills from its existing operations in Cook Inlet’s state waters. The company has also been repeatedly cited for violating safety regulations. According to the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission, “disregard for regulatory compliance is endemic to Hilcorp’s approach to its Alaska operations.”
Giving this lease to Hilcorp would only increase the likelihood of a devastating spill in Cook Inlet. Tell the BOEM it should reject Hilcorp’s bid.
The lease sale in question was required by the Inflation Reduction Act, but BOEM now has full discretion not to issue the lease to Hilcorp. It is clear that it would not be in the public interest to issue a lease, which is located in an important feeding area for the critically endangered beluga whale.
Earthjustice and our partners are suing BOEM for its failure to assess the impacts of the lease sale adequately, including how any oil and gas produced as a result could worsen climate change. We’re going to hold the BOEM accountable for its actions in court, and we must do the same in the public arena. President Biden’s promises to act on climate are only as good as his commitment to phasing out fossil fuels, and we need your help to remind him to do the right thing. Our communities, ecosystems, and climate are relying on this administration to hasten the end of the age of fossil fuels — and that starts with not issuing a lease to Hilcorp in Cook Inlet.
Tell BOEM to reject Hilcorp’s bid and spare Cook Inlet from the effects of drilling.