EIA Regulatory Comment on Hilcorp Alaska Plan for Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Oil and Gas Activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska

On May 1, 2019, The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) wrote a letter in response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries' request for comments on a petition for regulations governing the taking of marine mammals by Hilcorp in Cook Inlet, Alaska from 2019-2024. Home to a critically endangered population of beluga whales, EIA wrote to oppose the major impact Hilcorp's proposed oil and natural gas activities could have on the animals. NOAA also considers the possibility of automatically renewing this permit, a potential violation of the marine mammal protection act.