Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over a planned lease sale in Alaska's Cook Inlet, which is set to take place next week. The groups allege that the sale, mandated by Congress, is based on a faulty environmental review. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, does not call for the lease sale to be cancelled. However, it does put potential bidders on notice that the sale's legality is being challenged. "If they bid, they'll be bidding with that knowledge," said Erik Grafe, an attorney representing the environmental groups. The groups involved in the lawsuit include the Center for Biological Diversity, Cook Inletkeeper, Alaska Center, and Trustees for Alaska. They are arguing that the environmental review conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not adequately assess the potential impacts of oil and gas development in the area. The groups are seeking to have the sale declared unlawful and for the bureau to conduct a more thorough environmental review. The lease sale, which is scheduled for December 30, would open up more than 400,000 acres of the Cook Inlet to oil and gas development. The area is home to several endangered species, including beluga whales and Steller sea lions. The Biden administration has yet to comment on the lawsuit.