Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, the Department of the Interior released a draft environmental impact statement on its plan to hold a lease sale for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, moving one step closer to drilling in one of America’s last wild places. The planned sale will target the coastal plain, the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge, home to lands and wildlife vital for the subsistence way of life of the Gwich’in Nation.
Last fall, Congressional Republicans slipped a rider into the budget opening up the Refuge for oil and gas drilling, and a sale could happen as soon as next summer. Interior officials have boasted about their plans to rush through this process by placing limits on the length of environmental reviews and operating on an accelerated schedule.
This news comes as public pressure continues to mount against banks willing to finance operations in the Arctic Refuge. This spring, investors representing more than $2.5 trillion in assets made clear in a letter to oil companies and banks that any company that supports oil and gas operations in the Arctic Refuge will face significant financial risk, as well as an enormous public backlash.
In response, Alli Harvey, Alaska representative for Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, released the following statement:
“In their rush to sell off the Arctic Refuge to oil interests as soon as possible, this administration has further demonstrated its total disregard for Indigenous rights and the value of our wild places. When Donald Trump looks at the Arctic Refuge, he may see nothing but dollar signs, but the people see much more than that. The Arctic Refuge is sacred to the Gwich’in Nation and an important symbol of the wild. That’s why the plan to open it up for drilling is so unpopular with the public, and pressure is growing on oil companies and the banks that fund them not to buy what this reckless administration is selling. We will continue to stand with the Gwich’in people and fight back against this scheme to sell out America’s Refuge.”
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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.