The US Interior Department said on Monday that it is approving three out of five drill sites proposed by ConocoPhillips as part of its Willow Master Development Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
“The Record of Decision denies two of the five drill site pads proposed by ConocoPhillips, reducing the project’s drill pads by 40%,” the Interior Department said in a statement. “[The actions] significantly scale-back the Willow Project within the constraints of valid existing rights under decades-old leases issued by prior administrations.”
The Biden administration’s decision to grant partial approval to the energy development project comes despite objections by environmental activists, who cite concerns about potential climate impacts by drilling activities.
The reduction of the plan’s scope reduces its freshwater use and eliminates infrastructure that could impact caribou migration and subsistence users, the statement said. The actions also create an additional buffer from exploration and development activities near the calving grounds and migratory routes of nearby caribou, the statement said.
Source: Sputnik
