Secretary Salazar Seeks Clarification to OCS Court Ruling

05/11/2009
Last edited 09/29/2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today asked the Department of Justice to seek clarification from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on the scope of its April 17, 2009 decision that Bush Administration officials did not conduct sufficient scientific and environmental analysis before scheduling oil and gas lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf off Alaska.

The court vacated the entire 2007-2012 Outer Continental Shelf oil and natural gas leasing program two years after lease sales began. At Salazar's request, the Department of Justice is asking the court to confirm its interpretation of the decision as not requiring retroactive invalidation of prior leases and to allow it to move forward and fix the shortcomings in the environmental analysis for the 5-year plan without developing and approving an entirely new five year program.

“The previous Administration's failure to apply the law has resulted in widespread uncertainty in the oil and gas industry and put reliable conventional energy production from offshore areas at risk,” Salazar said. “We must fix the problems the court identified and put oil and gas leasing decisions back on firm scientific footing.”

The court determined that in formulating the current 5-year plan the previous Administration erred in only considering the environmental sensitivity of shoreline areas, rather than considering the environmental sensitivity of the entire leasing area, as required by law.

To read the brief filed today by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Department of the Interior, click here: /news/pressreleases/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=10409

  • Press Release
    Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska
    10/23/2025

    Interior Takes Bold Steps to Expand Energy, Local Control and Land Access in Alaska

    During an event with Alaska’s congressional delegation and Alaska’s governor, the Department of the Interior announced a sweeping package of actions to boost energy development, modernize land and resource management across Alaska, and improve public health and safety for Alaskans. These steps include reopening the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing, completing right-of-way permits for the Ambler Road, moving forward with the King Cove–Cold Bay Road corridor through a land exchange, and providing land allotments for eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans. Together, these actions reduce regulatory barriers, support local communities, and strengthen Alaska’s role in national energy security and economic growth.

    Read more
  • Press Release
    Aerial view of wetland area
    07/28/2025

    Interior Withdraws Restrictive Special Area Policies in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to…

    As part of President Trump’s ongoing commitment to fully develop Alaska’s vast energy resources and reinforce American Energy Dominance, the Department of the Interior today announced that the Bureau of Land Management has rescinded three policy documents that sought to expand and intensify restrictions on special area management within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.

    Read more

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment