Back

August 9, 2021

Biden Administration To Review Energy Drilling In Arctic Refuge

According to The Hill, the Biden administration will formally launch an environmental review of the Trump administration’s decision to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling.

Previously, the Biden administration had said its predecessor’s action had “legal deficiencies.” As a result, in June the federal government suspended leases in ANWR.

The review will serve “to identify the significant issues, including any legal deficiencies in the Final EIS [Environmental Impact Statement],” said Laura Daniel-Davis, principal deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Hill reported that the supplemental EIS will consider possible alternatives like declaring some areas of the Coastal Plain off-limits to leasing, banning surface infrastructure in “sensitive areas,” and barring more than 2,000 acres of surface development across the Coastal Plain.

The Federal Register notice, available here,  formally starts the public process for the review, during which individuals, business leaders, trade associations, and any other interested parties will be allowed to weigh in with comments.

To search, type what you're looking for and results will appear automatically