Robert Besser
17 Mar 2023, 05:11 GMT+10
WASHINGTON D.C.: Despite a last-minute campaign from opponents, the US Department of Interior said that the Biden administration will approve a scaled-back version of a $7 billion oil and gas drilling project in Alaska known as "Willow" and proposed by ConocoPhillips.
The project will create hundreds of jobs and bring billions of dollars in revenue to the state and country, said elected officials from Alaska, which relies heavily on oil revenue, despite output declining heavily from its peak in the 1980s.
On a call with reporters, US Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat from Alaska, said, "I feel the people of Alaska have been heard. The state of Alaska cannot carry the burden of solving our global warming issues alone."
The United Nations, which has urged countries to transition away from fossil fuels, criticized the decision.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters, "These are not projects that move us in the right direction."
Environmental groups also criticized the Biden administration's decision, stressing it was trying to have it "both ways" regarding climate change.
Environmental groups have said they would challenge the project in court.
Having already endorsed the smaller version of the project, Houston-based ConocoPhillips lauded the US decision.
In a statement, ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Ryan Lance said, "This was the right decision for Alaska and our nation."
Meanwhile, US Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, welcomed the "good news," stating "this will mean jobs and revenue for Alaska," by pumping upwards of 180,000 barrels of oil per day into the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Get a daily dose of Iraq Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iraq Sun.
More InformationWhile Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...
LESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...
COLUMBUS, Ohio: To stop the spread of bird flu, more than 1.3 million chickens will be killed on Ohio's Union ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: In a Louisiana election where more than 43,000 people cast their ballots, a candidate for parish sheriff ...
LIVINGSTON, Kentucky: This week, railroad operator CSX said a train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur ...
While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...
VERMONT, USA - An Irish-Palestinian-U.S. citizen was among three university students of Palestinian descent injured in a shooting on Saturday ...
DUBAI, UAE: On November 24, countries participating in a five-day conference hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization in Dubai ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
Fifty-seven journalists have been killed as of Saturday as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which has extended to ...
BEIRUT, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement on Saturday that ...