The Biden administration released a notice of intent on Aug. 4 that it intends to prepare a new environmental impact statement on oil and gas leasing on the Coastal Plain in Alaska.
In June, President Joe Biden suspended oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, reversing former President Donald Trump's implementation of a provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that opened up the refuge's about 1.6-million-acre Coastal Plain to drilling.
"With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Secretary is directed to establish two area-wide leasing sales, not less than 400,000 acres each in the Coastal Plain. A distinguished team of career experts and scientists at the Department of the Interior spent thousands of hours over nearly two years developing a full range of alternatives and protective mitigation measures that would apply to all oil and gas activities in the 1002 Area, and now this administration is going to throw it all away and start over because they don't agree with it. That's politics plain and simple."
Bernhardt echoed their criticism, adding that the Biden administration is entitled to request a supplemental environmental impact statement.
"Congress acted in 2017 and really resolved the debate as to whether or not there would be a leasing program for that small area of the 19.5-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," said Bernhardt.
"We are glad to see the Biden administration recognize the serious flaws in Trump's rushed and illegal approval of drilling in the Arctic Refuge, but what is needed most is an act of Congress to permanently protect this special place from destructive drilling," Sierra Club senior campaign representative Mike Scott said in a statement.
"We urge members of Congress to act immediately to reverse the pro-drilling provision in the Tax Act, cancel the leases issued by the Trump administration, and shut down this dangerous drilling program once and for all."
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Friday, August 6, 2021
Biden Administration Targets Drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
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