SC Alaska News

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have criticized the Department of the Interior (DOI) following its release of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the oil and gas program on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. The ROD, according to Murkowski and Sullivan, restricts leasing and development on the 1.57-million-acre area, deviating from provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Interior's decision includes a lease sale scheduled for January 9, 2025, which is expected to face challenges in attracting bidders. "For the past four years, Interior has done everything it can think of to undermine responsible development on the Coastal Plain," said Murkowski. She added that this move does not align with statutory requirements or local preferences.

Senator Sullivan echoed these sentiments: "The Biden-Harris administration’s eleventh-hour lease sale in ANWR is yet another charade aimed at subverting the will of Congress." He also criticized claims by BLM about consulting with Alaska Native Tribes, stating that such consultations did not occur as claimed.

In November 2024, BLM released a final SEIS selecting Alternative D2 as its preferred alternative. This option places significant restrictions on leasing activities within ANWR. The Native Village of Kaktovik expressed dissatisfaction with BLM's process through a letter calling it "a failure."

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2017 established an oil and gas program for ANWR's Coastal Plain but has faced implementation challenges under current federal policies.