"ANCHORAGE - The Trump administration on Monday proposed allowing companies searching for oil and gas deposits in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to disrupt polar bears living there.

The so-called “incidental harassment authorization” proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would pave the way for seismic surveys in the refuge’s coastal plain, a key part of President Donald Trump’s last-minute push for more oil development in the region.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said that no polar bears are expected to be injured or killed during seismic operations, some of which are scheduled to take place next month, and expects disturbances to impact only a few bears."

Yereth Rosen reports for Reuters December 7, 2020. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Arctic Seismic Work Will Not Hurt Polar Bears, Government Says" (New York Times) [3]