Biden First Week: Halt Oil Activity in Arctic

The newly sworn-in president of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has swung into action on his first day in office.

His administration announced plans for a temporary postponement on oil and gas leasing in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

This was after the Donald Trump administration issued some leases in a particular part of the refuge that the Indigenous Gwich'in considered somewhat sacred.

The Trump Administration Prioritized Leasing in Alaska

According to a spokesperson for the United States Bureau of Land Management in Alaska, Lesli Ellis-Wouters, the Trump administration had prioritized issue leases following a 2017 law that called for lease sales.

The first lease sale for the refuge's coastal plain was held on January 6.

However, 8 days later, the agency signed leases for up to 9 tracts, totaling almost 1,770 square kilometers (685 square miles). The leases' provision was not publicized until President Donald Trump's last full day in office on Tuesday.

Ellis-Wouter stated via email on Wednesday that she is yet to receive anything on executive orders that pertain to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lease sales.

E. Colleen Bryan also stated that the state corporation which was issued up to 7 leases and was the primary bidder in the lease sales, could not contemplate what may happen with Biden's brand-new administration.

The President has signed a series of executive orders lately, one of which is pittsburg agreement, rejoining the paris climate agreement.

He was congratulated on twitter by the famous swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.

President Biden's Executive Order Halts Drilling Activities in Alaska

President Biden is opposed to drilling within the region while drilling opponents still hope that the executive action is just a step towards providing permanent protections that the president had called for during his presidential campaign.

Biden's executive order cites "alleged legal deficiencies" supporting the oil and gas lease program in calling on the Interior secretary to, "as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, place a temporary moratorium on all activities of the Federal Government" related to the implementation of the program.

The executive order also calls on the Interior secretary to review the program as well as potentially carry out a "new, comprehensive" environmental review.

The fight to open up the coastal plain to drilling activities goes back several decades.

The state's Republican congressional delegation hails the issuance of leases as "significant and meaningful for Alaska's future."

They severely criticized the planned moratorium on Wednesday.

Oil has always been the economic lifeblood of Alaska and supporters of drilling view this development as a way to significantly enhance oil production, which is a fraction of what it once was in the late '80s and generate revenue and sustain or create jobs.

Drilling critics state that the region off the Beaufort Sea is a habitat for wildlife including birds, caribou, wolves, polar bears, etc. and should be off-limits to any drilling activity.

The Gwich'in have also raised concerns on the overall impact of drilling activities on herds of caribou which they rely heavily on for subsistence.

The executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, Bernadette Demientieff said in a statement that it is also essential that young individuals see that the president has heard and acknowledges their voices, their identity, as well as their human rights.

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