Today the Department of the Interior released its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) which re-assesses the environmental impacts of the Arctic Refuge oil and gas leasing program. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement by Steve MacLean, Managing Director, U.S. Arctic Program:
"The Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is no place for oil and gas activities, and Congress must repeal the program. Unsustainable and risky oil and gas development will exacerbate climate change impacts and is not the answer. Dependence on oil and gas revenue has to change.
Instead of looking for additional lease opportunities, we should be looking for economically viable, alternative livelihood solutions that will support local communities in a just transition away from fossil fuels and new drilling. To ensure permanent protections, Congress must repeal the legislative mandate for oil and gas leases in the Refuge established in the 2017 Tax Act, by canceling the second lease sale, and restoring protections for this sacred place."
