That area was reduced to 67 acres (27 hectares) in August when Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced final plans for the sale. Chevron, Shell Offshore, the American Petroleum Institute and the state of Louisiana sued to reverse the cut in acreage and block the inclusion of the whale-protecting measures in the lease sale provisions. They also said the changes after the initial lease sale was proposed in March violate federal law because they were adopted arbitrarily, without sufficient explanation of why they are needed. Political Cartoons View All 1173 ImagesMeanwhile, rival litigation filed by Earthjustice and other prominent environmental groups seeks to halt the lease sale. The organizations say the lease sale violates the National Environmental Policy.

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Persons: Biden, James David Cain Jr, Lake Charles, BOEM, Earthjustice, ” Erik Milito, Steve Mashuda Organizations: ORLEANS, —, Interior Department, Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, District, Shell, American Petroleum Institute, Environmental, Energy, National Ocean Industries Association Locations: Gulf, Mexico, Lake, Maryland, Chevron, Louisiana, Gulf Coast