Trump Administration Opens Millions of Acres in Alaska to Drilling and Mining
Washington, June 3 (Hibya) – In its latest move prioritizing energy production over the preservation of public lands, the Trump administration will strip millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness of federal protection, exposing them to drilling and mining operations.
According to the New York Times, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Monday that he would reverse an order issued by Joe Biden in December that banned drilling on 23 million acres of the remote National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A).
Burgum delivered a speech in Alaska on Monday alongside Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
He stated that the Biden administration “prioritizes obstruction over production” and that Biden’s order “undermines our ability to use domestic resources at a time when American energy independence is more critical than ever.”
Donald Trump, on the first day of his second term in January, declared a “national energy emergency” and promised to issue a series of executive orders in favor of the fossil fuel industry, echoing his campaign slogan: “Drill, baby, drill.”
Environmental groups have long feared that Alaska would become the number one target for the U.S. president, given the state's abundant untapped oil and gas reserves, and they criticize the move to drill in an area vital to the survival of endangered Arctic species.
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