Federal judge vacates U.S. approval of ConocoPhillips Alaska drilling project

Aug 18 (Reuters) – A federal judge has thrown out the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ (COP.N) Willow oil development in Alaska, according to court documents.

In her order, Alaska District Court Judge Sharon Gleason said she was vacating the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s approval of the development in part because the agency failed to include greenhouse gas emissions from foreign oil consumption in its environmental analysis.

The order also said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to outline specific measures to mitigate the project’s impact on polar bears.

The Interior Department, which oversees the Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service, would not comment on the ruling.

Reporting by Nichola Groom
Editing by Chris Reese and Gerry Doyle

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source: reuters.com