"coastal plain"

The Gwich’in Steering Committee and 12 other groups filed a motion in U.S. District Court requesting the preliminary injunction. Separately, about a half-dozen conservation groups represented by Earthjustice filed a similar motion asking the court to freeze oil leasing and seismic activity in the coastal plain. 

The recent lawsuits over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve are a lot to keep track of. Casey Grove spoke to Tegan Hanlon to try to sort it all out.

On Thursday, the Trump administration took one of the last steps to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Not long after Trump took office, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke famously proclaimed “the only path for energy dominance is a path through the great state of Alaska.” Two and a half years into the administration, lawyers have proven to be significant impediments to that path.

Until recently, Gwich’in tribes were on the winning side of the battle over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Then, in late 2017, Congress opened the coastal plain to oil development.

The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ranks as one of the most controversial chunks of land in Alaska.

The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ranks as one of the most controversial chunks of land in Alaska. Since Congress set it aside for more study in 1980, environmental groups, politicians and industry have battled over whether to explore for oil there or to protect the wilderness forever. As the Trump administration gets ready to take the White House in January, the debate will likely flare up again. But even though the fight’s dragged on for decades, there’s still a lot we don’t know about what lies beneath the refuge.