NEWS RELEASES
BLM Publishes Update On Alaska's Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The U.S. Department of the Interior's website.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program for public review and comment. In 2017, Congress mandated the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to establish a program for the development of the Coastal Plain. Congress specifically identified the Coastal Plain for its potential for oil and natural gas resources in Section 1002 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA). Oil and gas from the Coastal Plain is an important resource for meeting our nation’s energy demands and creating employment opportunities for Alaska’s North Slope residents.
Stated in a press release, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said: "An energy-dominant America starts with an energy-dominant Alaska, and among the scores of accomplishments we have had at Interior under President Donald J. Trump, taking these steps toward opening the 1002 section of Alaska's North Slope stands out among the most impactful toward bolstering America's economic strength and security." The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on Dec. 28, 2018, will officially begin the 45-day public comment period. The release of the Draft EIS is the next step in implementing the provisions in the Tax Act for establishing and administering a competitive oil and gas program for the leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
For the full press release and how to comment on the Draft EIS, view the U.S. Department of the Interior's website.