Oil and gas drilling Blocked in Alaskan Wilderness as Biden Seeks Green Credit April 20, 2024
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Apr 19, 2024
- 2 min read
By AFP - Agence France Presse
Oil and gas drilling Blocked in Alaskan Wilderness as Biden Seeks Green Credit
The United States on Friday blocked oil, gas, and mining operations in swathes of pristine wilderness in Alaska, drawing praise from environmentalists for protecting habitat for polar bears, caribou, and other Arctic species.
More than 13 million acres (5.2 million hectares) will come under new federal protection, while a permit to build a major road to access mineral deposits was denied, in moves that angered industry bodies and some residents.
"Alaska's majestic, rugged lands and waters are among the most remarkable and healthful landscapes in the world," said President Joe Biden. "These natural wonders demand our protection."
But state lawmakers in Washington criticized the measures, forming a bipartisan front to say they would fight to overturn them.
"The Biden administration may be focused on short-term political gains, but at the expense of Alaska's long-term future," said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, citing future jobs and national energy security.
Democratic Congresswoman Mary Sattler Peltola said the announcement failed to strike a balance between the need for gas and oil "and legitimate environmental concerns."
Ahead of the US presidential election in November, Biden is trying to bolster his green credentials, which were damaged by a decision last year to give the green light to a project by US energy giant ConocoPhillips in Alaska.
The Willow project, estimated to cost between $8 and $10 billion, was authorized by former President Donald Trump and later supported by Biden, sparking nationwide protests by activists.
- Rapid warming of the Arctic -
The Interior Department said Friday that the new protections would help combat the effects of global warming, which is degrading Alaska's permafrost.
"As the climate crisis puts communities across the country at risk, more must be done," Biden promised, adding that the new regulations would also support the subsistence economy and customs of Alaska's native peoples.
Friday's announcement finalizes measures unveiled in September affecting the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), an ecologically important region for grizzly and polar bears, caribou, and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.
The American Petroleum Institute said the decision was "misguided" and "at a time when the world is looking to America for energy leadership, this is another step in the wrong direction".
However environmental groups such as Evergreen Action welcomed the announcement.
The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet "but that hasn't stopped Big Oil from threatening delicate ecosystems and further accelerating the climate crisis by drilling for oil and gas," said Evergreen's Mattea Mrkusic.
"We appreciate the Biden administration's necessary step to strengthen protections."
The actions announced on Friday, ahead of Earth Day on Monday, follow a recent ban on drilling in 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, ensuring that all US Arctic Ocean waters are now off-limits to new oil and gas leases.
Biden and his Republican opponent, Trump, are in a tight race for the White House, with a Trump victory likely to see a reversal of environmental policies.
As president, one of Trump's first acts was to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, and he has promised, if re-elected, to vigorously promote fossil fuel production.
Ben Sheppard
bgs-la/sst
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