Joe Biden halts drilling in Arctic refuge
Joaqlin EstusIndian Country Today President Joe Biden put a hold on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic just hours after being inaugurated. He signed an
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President Joe Biden put a hold on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic just hours after being inaugurated Wednesday.
He signed an executive order placing a temporary moratorium on all federal activities related to oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Just the day before, nine leases had been signed by the Trump administration, well ahead of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's 2024 deadline requiring two lease sales in the refuge.
Biden's executive order raises questions about the permitting process for the leases, saying, "in light of the alleged legal deficiencies underlying the program, including the inadequacy of the environmental review required by the National Environmental Policy Act … "
The order directs the Secretary of Interior to redo a major step to " … as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the oil and gas program." It notifies courts that the incoming Attorney General may request courts to put a hold on litigation related to oil and gas leasing in the refuge.
Biden also reinstated an Obama-era order withdrawing areas in Arctic waters and the Bering Sea from offshore oil and gas drilling and establishing the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area.