Biden administration approves controversial Alaska oil project
Environmental associations, which had launched a vast campaign to fight against the Willow project, denounce a disaster for the climate.
© Getty Images / Agence France-Presse
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2 mins
It is a controversial decision made by the Biden administration on Monday, March 13.
The US presidency has approved a major oil project in Alaska.
The project is met with opposition from many conservationists and native Alaskans.
Joe Biden, who was committed to the fight against climate change, tried to limit the scale of this project.
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The
decision was expected
, feared by environmental defense associations and their response was quick.
“
We are at too advanced a stage in the climate crisis to approve massive oil and gas projects
” regretted the president of one of them, Earthjustice deploring that Joe Biden,
committed to the climate
, “
derailed his own goals
.
Conversely, Joe Biden was congratulated by elected officials from Alaska, Democrats and Republicans alike.
They see in this project the promise of jobs and a source of development for this State.
“
I want to thank the president and his administration for listening to the voices of Alaskans when it mattered most
,” said Mary Peltola, the first Alaskan native to serve in Congress.
But the battle over Willow, the name of this drilling project, is not over.
As a pledge to environmental activists, Joe Biden has set limits to the project.
Only three boreholes instead of five have been authorized.
But according to estimates by the White House itself, mining as approved will produce 9.2 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.
That's the equivalent of 2 million more cars on the road.
And environmental defense associations are preparing to launch legal proceedings to block the project.
The area planned for the Willow Petroleum Project is the largest stretch of undisturbed public land in the United States.
Associated Press
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UNITED STATES
Environment
Oil
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Joe Biden
Climate change