The Biden administration has approved plans for a sale of oil and gas leases in Alaska, allowing for potential drilling in a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The lease sale is scheduled for January 9, shortly before President Joe Biden leaves office. This sale will cover only a fraction of the land available in a previous sale held during the Trump administration.
The 2017 law mandated two lease sales by late 2024, with the first sale seeing major oil companies opting out. The Biden administration has canceled seven leases from the initial sale, and the possibility of drilling in the refuge remains uncertain due to ongoing litigation.
If leases are issued for the refuge, any exploration or development plans would need to undergo environmental review, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The coastal plain of the refuge, where drilling may occur, is a vital habitat for wildlife such as polar bears, caribou, and musk ox. Indigenous Gwich’in leaders consider this area sacred, while leaders of the Iñupiaq community of Kaktovik support drilling.
The upcoming lease sale will cover 400,000 acres, the minimum required by the 2017 law, compared to the 1.1 million acres in the first sale. The Bureau of Land Management has stated that the area for lease avoids key wildlife areas.
Environmentalists and climate scientists advocate for reducing fossil fuel use to combat climate change. While estimates suggest significant oil reserves in the coastal plain, the exact quantity and quality are uncertain.
Drilling supporters, including some Alaska political leaders, have criticized the limitations on the lease sale. Nagruk Harcharek, president of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, believes the Biden administration is hindering potential development in the refuge against the wishes of North Slope Iñupiat.
