Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne refused to testify at a Senate hearing on Wednesday about endangered species protections for the polar bear.
Kempthorne turned down a request to appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, citing litigation over the matter. But he told Sen. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California), the committee chairwoman, that drilling in the Arctic would not harm the bears in an April 1 letter.
Boxer, however, was unhappy with Kempthorne's failure to appear. "By failing to finalize its decision with respect to the polar bear within the statutory time limits, the Bush administration is violating the law-that is why we are here today," she said
Last year, Kempthorne imposed a deadline to make a decision on listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. The deadlined passed on January 9.
Get the Story:Inaction on Polar Bear Criticized (The Washington Post 4/3)
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Boxer: Explanation Needed on Polar Bears (AP 4/2)
