Biden approves a controversial oil extraction project in Alaska

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, approved this Monday a controversial oil extraction project in the state of Alaska, known as “Willow”, in a decision that has been strongly criticized by environmental groups.

The approval appears in a report made public this Monday on the website of the Department of the Interior and in which details of the project are offered, which will be led by the oil giant ConocoPhillips.

The project will be located within the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve, on federal government public land, and some 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in what is considered one of the richest places in biodiversity and one of the most less explored in the United States.

For now, the Biden administration will only allow i know phillips begin to extract oil in three zones. The company had asked to begin drilling work at two other points, but the Executive has postponed its decision in this regard, according to the aforementioned report.

In accordance with i know phillipsthe project could produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day when it is at its maximum output, it will create 250,000 jobs in its construction phase and another 300 permanent jobs when it is operational.

Also, the projectWillow“will create between $8 billion and $17 billion in tax revenue for the federal government, the state of Alaska and area local governments, he says i know phillips in his web page.

Dozens of environmental advocacy groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), have criticized Monday’s decision Biden deeming it to be in breach of promises it made to reduce greenhouse gases and promote clean energy.

Several groups have also warned that they will consider different options, including suing the Biden government in court, to stop the project.

Environmental groups oppose the project “Willow” considering that it will contaminate Alaska’s water and air and impact the migratory patterns of animals.

In addition, it will end up releasing some 239 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the air during the project’s 30-year lifespan, according to two dozen organizations, including the Alaska Wilderness League, in a joint statement.

Shortly after the announcement about the project “Willow”, the White House approved the imposition of limits on oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean and on the North Slope of Alaska, in an apparent effort to please environmental groups.

However, these restrictions will only affect future projects and not those that have already been approved, the White House details in a memorandum made public on Monday.

Therefore, it will not have any impact on the project.”Willow”.

Source: EFE