New Rule Allows Oil Firms to Accidentally Kill Polar Bears and Walruses in Alaska

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a final rule that exempts oil and gas companies from legal responsibility when polar bears or Pacific walruses are unintentionally killed during year-round activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent Alaskan coast. The agency will issue letters of authorization to companies that request permission for such incidental killings, and the provision will remain in force until 2031.

The Alaska Oil and Gas Association, representing major fossil-fuel firms, advocated for the revision, which survived more than 85,500 public comments, the vast majority of which opposed it. This move is part of a broader pattern of environmental rollbacks, including a narrowed interpretation of the Endangered Species Act and a Department of the Interior plan to allow winter operations in the National Petroleum Reserve without NEPA review.

While the administration argues the changes boost domestic energy output, they have not lowered fuel prices, which have risen amid the president’s conflict with Iran. Environmental groups warn the rule threatens vulnerable Arctic species.