Markey Letter to Interior Secretary Urges Settling Of Polar Bear Decision Ahead of Oil Drilling Sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Lawmaker Reinforces Legislative Message

To Read the Letter
Link to Legislation
Link to Hearing Testimony, Video and Photos

WASHINGTON (January 18, 2008) - Select Committee Chairman Representative Edward Markey today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne reinforcing the message that the Secretary should postpone the pending oil lease sale on the critical habitat of the polar bear while he is still considering the status of the bear under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to today's letter, Chairman Markey held a committee hearing yesterday questioning the wisdom of putting oil extraction ahead of species extinction, introduced legislation requiring that the decisions be made in the proper order, and sent a letter directing numerous questions to the Interior Department concerning how these decisions are being made.

"I am trying to make it very clear to Secretary Kempthorne that he has a decision to make regarding whether extinction of the polar bear versus oil extraction in the Chukchi Sea. He can correct this regulatory lunacy overnight," said Chairman Markey.

To read the letter please CLICK HERE.

Yesterday Chairman Markey held a hearing with the directors of the U.S.F.W.S. and Minerals Management Service, 2 agency directors in charge of the listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the sale of oil drilling rights, respectively. The 2 directors refused to commit to deciding the fate of the polar bear under ESA before selling rights to drill in a major polar bear habitat.

Earlier this month, the U.S.F.W.S. announced it would miss the statutory deadline to reach a decision on listing the polar bear as threatened under ESA as a result of global warming, saying it would take up to a month more to reach the decision. That could put the listing decision after the sale of oil drilling rights in Alaska's Chukchi Sea, scheduled for February 6th. The Chukchi Sea is a sensitive polar bear habitat, and the oil drilling area up for sale overlaps with major parts of the polar bears essential habitat.

The legislation introduced by Chairman Markey yesterday would require that the Interior Department delay the oil drilling rights sale in the Chuckchi Sea until it had made a decision on the polar bear, and had performed it's responsibility of establishing a "critical habitat" for the polar bear.

Chairman Markey has also sent a letter, along with several of his House colleagues, to Secretary Kempthorne expressing deep concern on the timing of the 2 Interior Department decisions. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts also sent a similar letter.

The letters and legislation, and other information on the polar bear's plight, can be found on the Select Committee's website at globalwarming.house.gov

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