Posted on 08/19/2021 8:54:12 AM PDT by Hojczyk
A federal judge has reversed the Trump administration’s environmental approval for ConocoPhillips’ multibillion-dollar proposed Willow development on Alaska’s North Slope, throwing a significant roadblock in front of a project seen by analysts as a needed boost to the state’s flagging oil industry and tax revenue.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason, in a 110-page ruling on two related lawsuits Wednesday, said the Trump administration’s approval of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act was flawed because it failed to thoroughly analyze potential greenhouse gas pollution, and didn’t sufficiently consider legal protections for Teshekpuk Lake, an important subsistence area on the North Slope.
The ruling by Gleason, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, sets aside the project’s approval by the Bureau of Land Management. It also vacates a formal opinion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that said the project was unlikely to jeopardize polar bears’ continued existence and unlikely to harm their critical habitat.
The decision, released Wednesday afternoon, quickly reverberated around Alaska’s political and oil industry circles. In a reflection of Willow’s broad significance, ConocoPhillips, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration and the North Slope Borough had all intervened in the litigation in defense of the federal agencies being sued by nine separate environmental groups.
Other major potential Alaska oil developments have endured recent political and financial setbacks: The Biden administration has halted development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a state government-sponsored LNG pipeline has stalled and another major project on the North Slope, Pikka, is in limbo amid the acquisition of its owner.
(Excerpt) Read more at alaskapublic.org ...
Once again, an O-hole appointee...
Can’t be encroaching on the Middle East’s monopoly, now can we?
not when the ruling class is getting kickbacks from it.
They forgot to put Hunter on their board.
No doubt opec will make up the difference right?
Judge Sharon
Aw, just go begging to the Saudis again even though they are likely rethinking the value of our friendship in light of current events
State and company should just move forward anyway
Was her opinion based on a proposed opinion submitted by counsel for plaintiffs?
Kill cheap energy and you kill the middle class and rural communities.
One job Biden is doing very well.
I heard a Chinese female judge ruled that the PLA has to stop building bases in the South China Sea due to the risk of environmental damage. No? Maybe I read it wrong. /s
Who needs energy independence? Not Tali-Biden.
Obama appointees have short Wiki articles. Likely that’s intentional.
My personal opinion is that Judge Gleason would probably opine that only a cancellation of the entire fossil fuel industry would reflect a sufficiently thorough analysis here.
Do I need to look her up to see who nominated her?
Soetero, Clinton, or one of the Bushes
I’m going with Soetero.
I thought this was interesting. Cancelling the project approval by the BLM should have done the trick. But this judge "vacates a formal opinion" by the FWS? How does that work? It is wholly unnecessary unless she wanted to ensure that if a higher court overturns her actions that the FWS will have to redo the formal opinion, requiring additional time before the project can restart.
Every energy company should be reviewing proposed energy projects to evaluate how likely that the Xiden administration will pull stuff like this.
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