Alaskan group to fight Biden’s “unlawful” Arctic oil drilling ban

(WO) – The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) announced that it will fight the Department of Interior’s acts against the 1002 area leases.

In 2020, AIDEA made lawful bids and was legally awarded land leases in the 1002 area of ANWR, an area designated by Congress for responsible oil production. This action was laid out in the Tax cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by the President in 2017.    

Joe Biden made campaign promises to shut down oil and gas production on federal lands and ANWR, which meant destroying high paying jobs Americans and Alaskan families and communities would benefit from.

As then candidate Biden said repeatedly, “I am completely totally opposed [to development] in ANWR. No more drilling on federal lands period!” This statement was made regardless of the law and congressional mandates. 

According to AIDEA, this latest action by the Department of the Interior shows arbitrary disregard for federal law, based on campaign trail rhetoric. Campaign promises are not enough to justify this agency action. Under the law, Interior must present real facts and reasons that support this reversal in position.   

AIDEA has decided to go to court to protect its rights in the ANWR leases. The group will ask the court to allow AIDEA to conduct discovery that could include taking the deposition of Biden’s messenger, Secretary Haaland and possibly other administration officials involved, so the real motives are made public. 

Development in Alaska would benefit the nation with domestic supplies of resources and ensure trillions of dollars appropriated for the “green” economy do not go to foreign countries with little to no environmental standards.  A willingness to circumvent laws passed by Congress has consequences reaching far beyond ANWR’s boundaries and will impact future development across this country, AIDEA said.