Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has cancelled all leases for oil and gas within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in an effort to safeguard the area and cut down on the production of fossil fuels.
“With today’s decision nobody will be granted rights to drill on some of the world’s most sensitive areas of the Earth,” Haaland said in a live news conference on Wednesday. “Climate alteration is the greatest crisis of our time. And we must not ignore the devastating effects that are being felt in the Arctic. We must take every step within our power to achieve the most stringent standards of care to ensure the protection of our fragile ecosystem.”
There was no sign of any company drilling within the refuge. Two leases were purchased by two companies in the Trump administration then renounced them. A state-owned agency, The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority has seven leases. The cancellation of Haaland’s leases eliminates the possibility of selling leases to a private company to develop the leases. The announcement is also to dissuade any company from ever thinking about drilling within the refuge, even though the department is preparing for its second legally-mandated lease sale in the refuge.
Haaland also unveiled a proposed rule that would make protections for federal land that lies to the west, which is part of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska, more robust. It is closely aligned with the outline of earlier declared protections, and doesn’t directly affect ConocoPhillips working regarding its Willow project that is currently in progress.
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