US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday announced measures aimed at expanding oil and gas development across Alaska's federal lands, fulfilling one of President Donald Trump's key pledges.
The initiatives implement one of Trump's day one executive orders:
"Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential."
This directed the Interior Department to rescind environmental protections ordered under previous presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and to expedite permits for energy projects across Alaska's federal lands.
Burgum said the Department of the Interior will pursue reopening up to 82 percent of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska for leasing.
The reserve is a 23.4 million-acre area of federal land in northwest Alaska and is known for its vast wilderness landscapes and rich natural resources.
The plan would also reinstate a program making the entire 1.56-million-acre coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge available for oil and gas development.
"It's time for the US to embrace Alaska's abundant and largely-untapped resources as a pathway to prosperity for the nation, including Alaskans," Burgum said in a statement.
Republicans and Democrats have battled for decades over the development of Alaska, which has massive fossil fuel resources but also holds unparalleled expanses of untouched natural habitats.
Trump made "Drill, Baby Drill" a slogan of his candidacy and of his presidency, arguing that ramping up oil and gas production is needed to face what he calls a "national energy emergency."
Key actions announced by Burgum include reversing a Biden decision to stop advancement of the Ambler Road, a proposed 211-mile (340-kilometer) route that would cut through a national park to connect a mining district.
The executive order also touts Alaska Liquified Natural Gas Pipeline project, which was identified as critical for "American Energy Dominance" and supplying LNG to "allied nations within the Pacific region."
The pipeline project has attracted international interest from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, according to officials.
Trump has described the planned 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline as being "among the largest in the world".
Environmental groups are expected to challenge the moves, which come just two months after Trump's inauguration in January.
"This order is deeply concerning for anyone who cares about national parks and wildlife in the Arctic," Alex Johnson, a campaigner for the National Parks Conservation Association, told the Washington Post.
Source: AFP
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