Interior asking public not ‘if’, but ‘how’ to allow drilling in ANWR

[thackney]

Interior asking public not ‘if’, but ‘how’ to allow drilling in ANWR
https://www.ktoo.org/2018/05/31/interior-asking-public-not-if-but-how-to-allow-drilling-in-anwr/

...At the meeting, officials said the Trump administration must move forward with oil lease sales in ANWR. The Department of Interior’s Joe Balash said that’s because of specific language in the law Congress passed last year allowing drilling in ANWR.

“The statutory provisions say, ‘DOI shall’,” Balash said.

Testimony at the meeting was mixed. Many protesters came inside to speak against development, citing impacts to subsistence, the climate, and the value of untouched wilderness. Others with labor and industry groups spoke in favor of development. Jason Alward was there representing Operating Engineers Local 302.

“The leases, the development, the production of ANWR’s natural resources are vital to our future. And this project can be done responsibly.”...

[thackney]

[thackney]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/interior-department-worried-about-applications-for-oil-gas-exploration-in-anwr

...The seismic permit application was filed by Kuukpik Corp., a joint group consisting of SAExploration, the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. and the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp.

A spokeswoman for the Alaska office of the Bureau of Land Management confirmed to the Washington Examiner it received the seismic application and is "reviewing" it.

ANWR was created under President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960. In 1980, Congress provided additional protections to the 19 million-acre refuge but set aside a 1.5 million-acre section known as the “1002 area,” where billions of barrels of crude oil are believed to lie beneath the coastal plain, for study and future drilling if lawmakers approved it.

Republicans last year were successful in achieving their goal to allow energy exploration in the area as part of their tax overhaul legislation.

Under the tax law, the Interior Department must hold the first lease sale by 2021 and another by 2024, and offer up at least 400,000 acres each time....

[thackney]

https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=152117

Q: What kind of outreach are you conducting?

A: The Notice of Intent begins a 60-day public scoping period. During this time, we will hold public meetings in affected communities on the North Slope and in other relevant cities, and we will conduct Tribal and Alaska Native Corporation consultation. There will also be extensive outreach via social media and the BLM Alaska website. Scoping comments can be submitted through the BLM Alaska website, by email or regular mail, or can be dropped off to the BLM in person at the BLM Alaska State Office or at any of the public meetings.
            • webform:    Go to the 'Documents' page and click on 'Comment on Document' button next to 'Notice of Intent'
            • email:         blm_ak_coastalplain_EIS@blm.gov
            • mail:            Attn: Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program EIS
                                  222 West 7th Avenue, Stop #13
                                  Anchorage, Alaska 99513.

DOI-BLM-AK-0000-2018-0002-EIS (Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing EIS)   
> NEPA Register > DOI-BLM-AK-0000-2018-0002-EIS > Documents
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=152110#

Note:  The "Comment on Document" button is on the right hand side, down the page under "Notice of Intent".