By The Associated Press Becky Bohrer AP

3:31 p.m. AKST, March 5, 2013
JUNEAU, Alaska—

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is not trying to avoid cleaning up abandoned wells in the Alaska Arctic by having wells declared historic preservation sites.
   
So says Erin Curtis, an agency spokeswoman in Alaska.
   
The issue was raised in a draft report on so-called legacy wells. Notations for some of the well sites referred to BLM preparing "a determination of eligibility" under the National Historic Preservation Act.
   
Curtis says this is standard for sites older than 50 years old. She says it doesn't mean the sites will be eligible and even if they are, she says it doesn't mean BLM wouldn't be able to clean them up.
   
The Alaska House late Monday passed a resolution urging BLM to properly address the well sites as soon as possible.