As expected, enviro groups sue after Biden approves Alaska drilling project

Two separate coalitions of environmental organizations have sued the Biden administration over its approval of the Willow Project, a controversial oil drilling project in northwestern Alaska.

The litigation accuses the administration of insufficiently assessing how the endeavor would affect the surrounding indigenous community and endangered species. Representatives for the nearby village of Nuiqsut made similar allegations in public comments in January, saying they were not given the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the feedback process.

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3901201-environmental-groups-sue-over-biden-administration-approval-of-alaska-oil-drilling-project/

One day after disappointing enviros, Biden withdraws support for road through Izembek NWR wilderness

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced its withdrawal of a Trump-era land swap in southwestern Alaska that it once defended in court, a day after its approval of an Alaskan oil project sparked outrage from environmentalists.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said she has withdrawn the 2019 land exchange between the federal government and the King Cove Corporation, which would have allowed the corporation to construct a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3900362-biden-administration-withdraws-approval-for-road-through-alaskan-refuge-after-previously-defending-it-in-court/

Biden's approves huge drilling project in country's largest remaining undeveloped tract of land

The Biden administration gave formal approval Monday for a huge oil drilling project in Alaska known as Willow, despite widespread opposition because of its likely environmental and climate impacts.

The president is also expected to announce sweeping restrictions on offshore oil leasing in the Arctic Ocean and across Alaska’s North Slope in an apparent effort to temper criticism over the Willow decision and, as one administration official put it, to form a “firewall” to limit future oil leases in the region. The Interior Department said it would issue new rules to block oil and gas leases on more than 13 million of the 23 million acres that form the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/climate/biden-willow-arctic-drilling-restrictions.html