09/07/2023

U.S. to Cancel Alaska Oil, Gas Leases Issued Under Last Administration

The leases are located in a federal wildlife refuge

The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday said it would cancel oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state development agency in the final days of former President Donald Trump's administration.

Trump's Republican administration issued the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) seven leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat who had pledged to protect the 19.6 million-acre (7.7 million hectares) habitat for polar bears and caribou.

Environmentalists and an Alaska indigenous group praised the move while a Republican Senator from Alaska slammed it. AIDEA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.