On behalf of its Iñupiat Alaska Native
shareholders, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) filed a request
to intervene in the polar bear lawsuit pending in the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of California. If the motion to
intervene is allowed, ASRC will be heard on all procedural and
substantive issues in the case, thus ensuring that concerns for the
corporation and its shareholders will be addressed. The motion to
intervene was filed on July 3, 2008.
“ASRC shareholders are the indigenous people
of Alaska’s North Slope and share the same
environment with the polar bears,” said Tara
Sweeney, ASRC Vice President of External Affairs. “Any
decisions made in response to the polar bear suit will directly impact
the communities of many ASRC shareholders. Our lives, food, income,
heritage, culture, and community are all tied to the resolution of these
issues.”
The decision by ASRC to intervene in this lawsuit was made by the ASRC
Senior Leadership Team, with support from the ASRC Board of Directors.
While the corporation is concerned about climate change, the action
taken by the environmental industry could circumvent the legislative
process and appears to be an effort to address the global issue of
climate change through restrictions on arctic activities which have not
caused climate change or had a measurable effect on polar bears.
Importantly, the result of this federal listing and litigation could be
focused almost exclusively on Alaska Natives whose activities do not
threaten polar bear population levels. This lawsuit could have a dire
effect on every resource and economic development project on the North
Slope of Alaska, and could impact the rest of the country in a variety
of ways.
“The potential reach of this case extends well
beyond our home on Alaska’s North Slope.
Every industry in America that produces carbon emissions could
potentially be affected by this suit. From power-plants in Ohio to small
refineries in Wyoming, the decisions made on polar bears today could
have a profound impact on the US economy.”
Sweeney further stated, “While we recognize
the need to defend our backyard, it is important for Americans to
realize how this will impact their daily lives too.”
About ASRC
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is an Alaska Native regional
corporation, established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement
Act of 1971, and represents approximately 10,000 Iñupiat
shareholders. Corporate headquarters are based in Barrow, Alaska, with
administrative and subsidiary offices located in Anchorage and
throughout the United States. ASRC, along with its family of companies,
is the largest Alaska Native-owned company, employing over 6000 people
worldwide. The company has four major business segments: petroleum
refining and marketing, government technical services, energy services
and construction industries.
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