Description: Challenge to the final environmental impact statement and record of decision for an oil and gas sale in federal waters of Cook Inlet, Alaska mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
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Cook Inletkeeper v. U.S. Department of the Interior
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 12/21/2022 Complaint Download Complaint filed. Environmental Groups Challenged Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Alaska. A lawsuit filed by environmental groups in the federal district court for the District of Alaska challenged the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM’s) final EIS and record of decision for an oil and gas sale in federal waters of Cook Inlet, Alaska. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 required that the sale be conducted by the end of 2022. The final EIS’s alleged shortcomings included that the greenhouse gas emissions analysis “was based on flawed modeling and failed to provide a meaningful assessment of the significance of the emissions in the context of the global climate crisis.” Among other things, the final EIS “failed to meaningfully assess how the projected greenhouse gas emissions … affect the ability to limit global warming to 1.5℃.” The complaint also alleged that BOEM failed to consider a reasonable range of alternatives, including an alternative that would offer less area for sale or reduce the level of oil and gas activities.