Arctic Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Multiple Lease Sale

The United States Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposed oil and gas leasing in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off the north coast of Alaska. The regional government, the North Slope Borough, signed an agreement with the MMS to prepare an HIA for the environmental impact statement (EIS). The HIA addressed a range of health effects, such as: 1) potential impacts on the traditional Alaska Native diet—which is high in fish and marine mammals—if oil and gas activities disturbed the region's wildlife; 2) social impacts in isolated Alaska Native villages if oil and gas facilities were located in or near the communities; 3) health risks posed by exposure to any air or water pollution that might occur; and 4) the use of oil and gas revenues to support local services important to health, such as public safety, fire and medical emergency response. As of March 2011, the draft EIS has not been revised, and no decision has been reached on the mitigation measures proposed in the HIA.