Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Yesterday afternoon, Ryan Zinke’s Department of the Interior announced the conditional approval of Hilcorp Alaska LLC’s “Liberty” offshore drilling plan in the Beaufort Sea. This facility would be the first oil and gas production facility in federal waters off Alaska.
In response, Sierra Club Lands, Water, Wildlife Campaign Director Dan Ritzman released the following statement:
“As the Arctic warms twice as fast as the rest of the planet, it is irresponsible to permit new oil development that will only exacerbate the problem of climate change. Not only will expanded offshore drilling threaten our climate, the Liberty development will also threaten a unique region of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that supports a rare diversity of wildlife. Rather than pushing for new development to benefit their friends in the fossil fuel industry, Ryan Zinke and the Department of the Interior should be leading the way towards a clean energy economy which would protect our climate and our oceans.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.