Bernhardt said in the next few weeks, the agency will kick off the regulatory process required before the administration can hold an oil lease sale in the refuge.
Energy & Mining
Sullivan knocks Trump tariff as bad for Alaska
President Donald Trump is expected to announce new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum Thursday. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan wishes he wouldn’t, saying a trade war could slow the U.S. economy.
Interior Department officials visit North Slope to talk ANWR
A high-profile guest from the U.S. Interior Department was in attendance at the North Slope Borough Assembly meeting in Utqiaġvik on Tuesday, March 6.
State regulator pushes for stronger laws to deal with abandoned oil wells
A top state regulator is asking the legislature to make sure oil companies pay to clean up old oil wells, even after the wells are sold to a different company.
Oil response crew continues to clean up Shuyak Strait spill
Responders collected six bags of oil and are using containment booms on the remaining waste. No oiled wildlife has been reported and response crews are looking into cleaning up debris.
What can unflappable geese teach us about the future of Arctic development?
Every summer, millions of migratory birds like the greater white-fronted goose descend on the National Petroleum Reserve, to lay eggs, molt their feathers and fatten up. A lot of the oil potential lies squarely in migratory bird habitat.
Derelict building collapse allows fuel spill near Kodiak
State and federal officials are responding after up to 3,000 gallons of fuel oil spilled in Shuyak Strait.
Juneau Assembly lawyers up over AEL&P buyout
Hydro One asked the Juneau Assembly to rescind its petition to intervene over its acquisition of Alaska Electric Light and Power. In return it had offered some general commitments that Assembly members felt didn’t go far enough to protect the community’s interests.
Murkowski sends letter questioning oil companies about drop in Alaska hire
Murkowski cited a recently released Alaska Department of Labor report, stating the share of out-of-state workers in Alaska’s oil industry rose to 37.1 percent in 2016.
Offshore drilling public meeting draws supporters, critics and criticism
The Wednesday night meeting was the only opportunity for Alaskans to comment on the draft proposal in person. But it wasn’t what some participants had hoped for.