She rules that improper environmental assessment made sale approval illegal.
District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the Interior Department’s approval to lease an Alaskan area for offshore drilling was done illegally, overturning the sale mandated by Congress in 2022.
As a political compromise for approving offshore wind energy leases, Senator Joe Manchin negotiated that a 5,693-acre area off Alaska’s Cook Inlet would also be approved for offshore oil and gas drilling. However, environmental groups filed suit, claiming that the Interior Department did not conduct the environmental reviews necessary to approve that specific area.
Judge Gleason agreed, ordering the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to conduct a proper environmental analysis of the area and several nearby alternatives. She did not entirely overturn the previous oil and gas sale.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for America’s justices and judges as they interpret federal law.
- For federal judges to be discerning as they seek to uphold due process.
- For the advocates and watchdogs to be prudent as they seek to ensure appropriate federal reviews are fulfilled.
Sources: Reuters, Alaska Public Media
