Biden suspends Arctic drilling rights sold in Trump’s last days as president

The Biden administration announces that it will suspend Arctic oil drilling rights Sold in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency, reversing the iconic policies of the predecessor White House and handing victory to environmentalists.

On his first day as president, Joe Biden instructed the Department of the Interior to review oil and gas activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest undeveloped wilderness areas in the United States. On Tuesday, the department said it would suspend the issuance of permits, pending environmental and legal reviews.

It stated that it has “discovered flaws in the basic records supporting the decision to lease, including a lack of analysis of reasonable range of alternatives.” This is required by the National Environmental Policy Act, which is an issue with dozens of The year-old law is a sign of environmental standards.

In order to correct four years of inaction on climate change issues, Biden announced a series of measures to restore the United States as a leader in environmental issues.This includes rejoining the Paris climate agreement and canceling the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline license, announcing plans Cut greenhouse gas emissions in halfs By 2030, integrate climate-related risks into the financial system.

Oil companies and Republicans have long sought to develop the oil-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is a land of more than 19 million acres and is home to endangered polar bears, caribou and other wild animals. in The community is regarded as a sacred place.

Gina McCarthy, the White House’s national climate adviser, called the move “an important step forward” because the Trump administration decided in January to sell permits to oppose the opposition of activists.

The Biden administration also promised to stop new oil and gas leases on federal land, which is very different from the era when environmental regulations and restrictions on energy producers were lifted in the Trump era.

Despite strong opposition from environmentalists, large investors, and the public, Trump is still trying to open some of the shelters — about 1.5 million acres of land along the coast — as part of a landmark plan to encourage the United States to increase fossil fuel production.

Local officials opposed Biden’s move, saying it dealt a huge blow to the regional economy and Alaska’s highly dependent industries.

“Our oil and gas leases are valid and the federal government cannot take them back,” Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy said. “I oppose this attack on Alaska’s economy and will use all necessary means to eliminate this shocking federal over-expansion.”

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