CBD files lawsuit against Salazar for BP Oil's affect on wildlife

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for failing to provide an adequate risk assessment upon which to base a decision to allow the oil industry’s deep sea off-shore drilling program with respect to its impact on wildlife. “While Salazar’s conclusion that exploration drilling in the Gulf posed little risk of a large oil spill was dubious at the time it was made, in light of BP’s calamity that position is completely untenable,” said Miyoko Sakashita, the Center’s oceans director. “The public deserves disclosure and a full analysis of the true impacts of oil drilling off our coasts." Salazar made no changes environmentalists had been asking for regarding deep sea off-shore drilling when he was appointed to his current position. The Center for Biodiversity says Salazar should be held liable for not honoring the Endangered Species Act. This act requires all federal agencies, including the former Minerals Management Service, to ensure that any action they carry out does not “jeopardize” a threatened or endangered species...more