Yesterday the District of Columbia Federal Court of Appeals vacated the Bush administration’s oil and gas leasing program for 2007 – 2012. The five year Leasing Program was the first step in the formal administrative process to expand leasing areas within the Outer Continental Shelf in the arctic ocean for offshore oil and gas development.

Four petitioners, the Center for Biological Diversity, Alaska Wilderness League, Pacific Environment, and the Native Village of Point Hope, Alaska, challenged the Secretary of the Interior’s approval of the Leasing Program on several grounds. In vacating the program, the court agreed with only one of the multiple legal claims brought by the Petitioners, and found that the program did not properly consider the effects on the environment and marine life under the requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act before it began the expansion process. The court ordered that the Department of the Interior must analyze the areas to determine the environmental risks and potential damage before moving ahead with the program. The ruling comes as new Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar finishes up his nationwide tour to evaluate various options for creating a sensible energy policy for the country, and effectively gives him the legal authority to reassess the Bush Administration’s leasing program and craft one that fulfills the Obama Administration’s vision.

The 37 page ruling can be read here.  A recent winner of the East Lansing Film Festival's award for Best Documentary "The Cost of Oil: Voices From the Arctic" examined the impact of offshore oil drilling on one of the Petitioners, the Native Village of Point Hope (see the trailer here).  Our iGreen team is interested in knowing how you feel on this topic.  Feel free to post a comment or contact our team through the links on this site.