Authorization to Harm Beaufort Sea Polar Bears OK’d by 9th Cir.

A five-year federal authorization allowing oil and gas companies to incidentally harm Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Tuesday, which said that vacating the authorization would create severe consequences for industrial actors.

Vacating the authorization would “in essence criminalize the act of knowingly operating as an oil company in the Beaufort Sea,” the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said in an unpublished opinion said.

Oil and gas companies would be subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each incident of of disturbing a polar bear, and “knowing” violations carry a ...