The administration of US President Donald Trump is reopening oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska. This is reported by Reuters.
The decision opens the possibility for oil and gas companies to again lease land for the purpose of exploring for and extracting hydrocarbons in the coastal zone of the reserve, which was previously closed to industrial activities by the Joe Biden administration.
The US Department of the Interior announced the reopening of 1.56 million acres of the ANWR coastal plain, lifting drilling restrictions imposed by the previous administration. The department stressed that this step “supports US energy independence, creates jobs and promotes Alaska’s economic development”.
State Governor Mike Dunleavy called the decision historic and thanked Donald Trump for “fulfilling his promises to Alaska”. At the same time, environmental organizations, including the Alaska Wilderness League, sharply criticized the move, warning that drilling could harm one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, home to polar bears, caribou, and numerous migratory birds.
Despite the permit, major oil and gas companies have not yet shown interest in investing in exploration in the reserve: last year’s auction organized by the Biden administration for an area of 400,000 acres did not attract a single bid from businesses.
Such decisions are in line with Donald Trump’s desire to increase energy production in the United States and were made at the request of the Alaskan authorities. Environmentalists have expressed concern about the possible consequences for the populations of polar bears and wild reindeer that live in this region.
