Science group decries Interior Dept. rule

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A new U.S. Department of Interior rule change will cut scientific opinion out of the Endangered Species Act rule-making process, a science group said Thursday.

The departments of Interior and Commerce announced Thursday the final rule amending the act's requirement that federal agencies consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists on decisions affecting endangered species, the Union of Concerned Scientists said in in a news release. The new rule gives federal agencies more discretion in determining to what degree protected species would be threatened by development projects, such as roads, dams and mines.

"This new rule is essentially a changing of the guard for determining how government projects will affect endangered species," said Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Instead of expert biologists taking the first look at potential consequences, any federal agency, regardless of its expertise, will now be able to make decisions that should be determined by the best available science."

Grifo called on President-elect Barack Obama to examine the rule to "ensure our nation's biodiversity is not being jeopardized by last-minute regulatory decisions."