By Ayesha Rascoe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department asked the Justice Department late on Monday to confirm that a recent court decision striking down a Bush administration five-year offshore oil and natural gas development plan does not nullify leases already sold under the policy.
Last month the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington ordered Interior to rewrite the 2007-2012 leasing plan because it had not undergone proper environmental review.
The Interior Department also wants to clarify that it can proceed with the scuttled drilling plan if it conducts the necessary scientific and environmental analysis, without developing and approving an entirely new five-year program.
"The previous administration's failure to apply the law has resulted in widespread uncertainty in the oil and gas industry and put reliable conventional energy production from offshore areas at risk," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.
"We must fix the problems the court identified and put oil and gas leasing decisions back on firm scientific footing."
Although the court issued its ruling in response to a case disputing oil development in the Alaska outer continental shelf, experts say it applies to the entire plan.
The department's request comes on the heels of two letters from lawmakers urging the agency to address the court's ruling.
Seven House Republicans, including Alaska Representative Don Young and Washington Representative Doc Hastings, sent a letter to Salazar Monday urging him to "immediately defend and restore" the drilling plan.
"If left unaddressed, the court decision becomes a de facto ban on any new offshore drilling," the letter warned.
Another letter sent late last week from four Senators also pressed the department to act on the ruling.
"The potential impacts of this court decision, if it is not addressed in an expeditious and responsible manner, could be severe," said the letter.
"Future lease sales could be canceled or postponed, and federal and state governments will forego the significant job creation and substantial revenues generated by offshore oil and natural gas production."
The letter was signed by Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Begich of Alaska.
Earlier this year, the Interior Department extended the comment period on a new offshore leasing plan proposed in the final days of the Bush administration that would allow drilling in previously closed areas.
(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; editing by Jim Marshall)
