The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals holds oral arguments today in a case affecting off-shore oil drilling in Alaska. Alaska Natives and environmental groups say the Interior Department failed to consider the impact of drilling on whaling. Residents of the Inupiat village of Barrow depend on whales for subsistence and culture. "This is a community that depends on the Arctic Ocean for survival," Charles F. Hopson of the whaling commission in Barrow told The New York Times. In July, the 9th Circuit halted Royal Dutch Shell's plans for drilling pending further review of the case. The company's efforts to overturn the ruling were rejected in September. The case is Alaska Wilderness League v. Kempthorne. It is being heard today in San Francisco. Get the Story:
Tension at the Edge of Alaska (The New York Times 12/4)
pwnyt $rl Alaska Wilderness League - http://www.alaskawild.org
