US BLM extends comment period on Alaska reserve development

Washington (Platts)--15Aug2005

The US Bureau of Land Management on Monday extended until Oct 17 the deadline
for public comments on development of coal, oil and natural gas reserves in
the southern portion of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The previous
deadline was Aug 26. 

BLM said in a Federal Register notice that it made the change at the request
of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group. BLM officials in Alaska
could not be immediately reached to elaborate on the decision. 

In the meantime, BLM will hold a series of scoping meetings throughout the
state on the environmental impact statement the agency is conducting for the
area. Among other things, the EIS will consider potential lands that could be
leased for coal, oil and gas production, as well as measures to protect the
environment from the effects of such development. BLM said in June that
congressional action would be required to allow coal and hard-rock mining to
occur in the 9.2-mil acre area.

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