Native Village of Point Hope v. Jewell
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
740 F.3d 489 (2014)

- Written by Alex Ruskell, JD
Facts
The Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) sold oil leases in the Chukchi Sea. When creating its final environmental impact statement, BOEM estimated the amount of recoverable oil by only estimating production from the first offshore oil field developed in the area. BOEM also used the lowest possible amount of oil that was economical to produce, which resulted in a one-billion-barrel production estimate. The Native Village of Point Hope (plaintiff) sued, arguing that BOEM’s oil estimate was arbitrary and capricious and thus unlawful. The lower court ruled in BOEM’s favor, and the village appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Fletcher, J.)
Dissent (Rawlinson, J.)
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