Judge blocks drilling in national oil reserve

[boise1]

Bush administration hasn't shown data on cumulative impact, he says

Associatged Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Bush administration is faced with reworking its proposal to lease more than 1 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska after a judge on Thursday temporarily halted the project in a lawsuit by environmentalists.

Nearly 13 million acres of the reserve in northern Alaska are available for lease sale or have been sold to oil companies, most notably ConocoPhillips. The company hopes to augment waning crude stocks in the Prudhoe Bay fields east of the NPR-A.

Environmentalists filed the lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, the state of Alaska and oil companies in hopes of cordoning off about 600,000 acres of the 23-million acre reserve from more exploratory drilling. The government had planned to open bids on Sept. 27 for about 1.7 million acres, which encompass the area targeted by environmentalists.

ConocoPhillips has its eye on the contested area, which holds a potential 2 billion barrels of oil beneath the permafrost near Lake Teshekpuk.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14732611/

[lovuian]

1. Good for the Environmentalists!!!

This has all been about grabbing oil in Alaska!!!

[Tellurian]

2. Hugs to the Judge!!!

{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[boise1]

3. Ironic concept the oil companies have here:

1) - Drill through permafrost.
2) - Extract contents.
3) - Refine and combust same.
4) - Observe permafrost meltdown.

[Robbien]

4. and a fifth one

Deny all global warming effects and declare it junk science.

[soothsayer]

5. Is the tide finally turning against the bfee?

Let it be so!

[WhiteTara]

6. Thank You U.S. District Judge James Singleton

Another human on the planet. :patriot:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Court Blocks Drilling in Alaskan Wetlands

Court Blocks Drilling in Alaskan Wetlands

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, September 8, 2006 (ENS) - The Bush administration's plan to open more than 1.7 million acres of Alaska wetlands to oil drilling hit a roadblock Thursday when a federal judge issued a preliminary decision temporarily blocking the leasing proposal. The judge criticized the federal government for failing to properly analyze the environmental impacts of drilling near Alaska's Teshekpuk Lake, which is considered one of the most important wildlife habitat areas in the Arctic.

The U.S. Interior Department had planned later this month to sell leases covering more than 8 million acres within the northeast and northwest sections of Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve (NRP-A), including the area around the lake.

The department estimates the area contains some 1.4 billion barrels of oil.

But the lake and wetlands around it provide important summer habitat for migratory birds from three continents and calving grounds for caribou.

Alaska Native communities near the lake have voiced strong opposition to drilling around the lake, which is an important subsistence hunting and fishing ground.
(snip/...)

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2006/2006-09-08-01.asp

[frebrd]

8. K & R eom

[acmavm]

9. Seems like more and more federal judges are finding their

backbones.

[dreamsvsnightmares]

10. All I can say is thank you thank you thank you

Please continue to put a halt on the destruction of our country

[Straight Shooter]

11. Some good news.

Thank you.

:thumbsup:

[lildreamer316]

12. Yay!!

Oh, that does make my day. Thanks.

[and-justice-for-all]

13. Kick Ass!!!!

[brer cat]

14. Damn those activist judges!

:sarcasm:

Made my day! Thanks for posting.

[rodeodance]

15. good, I was waiting for this.

[file83]

16. Good news in Bad times....

God bless those environmentalists!!!

[roguevalley]

17. the oil companies and their assorted tools as well as half the

the repugs in the legislature. it could go national too with Uncle Ted Nutface and the others.