On July 21, U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline ruled that the Department of the Interior violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to adequately asses the potential environmental impact of proposals to drill in Lease Area 193 in the Chukchi Sea. This is the latest of several setbacks that companies seeking to drill offshore in the Arctic have encountered. According to the LA Times, the ruling may also prohibit companies from conducting pre-drilling operations, which environmental groups argue are harmful to mammals.