Environmental Groups Try To Stop BP Project In Alaska

1st Jul 2010 22:38

By Tennille Tracy Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Several environmental groups have asked U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to deny BP PLC's (BP) application to drill for the Liberty production drilling projects in Alaska's Beaufort Sea. In a July 1 letter to Salazar, the groups say the "ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has called into question BP's assurances about safety and response capability." The groups also asked Salazar to deny future drilling approvals for BP until the Interior Department can ensure the oil giant would have adequate resources to address any potential accident in the Arctic. "Given that BP is currently overwhelmed with the Gulf of Mexico disaster, the earliest that could happen is after the oil spill in the gulf has been stopped and all oil containment, recovery and cleanup efforts are complete," the groups said in their letter. Among the groups signing the letter are Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. The groups' request coincides with plans by Rep. George Miller (D., Calif.) to draft a bill that prohibits BP from obtaining new offshore oil and gas drilling leases for up to seven years. -By Tennille Tracy, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6619; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 01, 2010 17:38 ET (21:38 GMT)