A proposed rule by the Trump administration would no longer require oil projects in federal lands along Alaska’s North Slope to undergo individual impact assessments.
Under the new rule, announced by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), projects in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) would be excluded from federal requirements for individual environmental reviews.
Environmental impact studies for proposed federal agency actions, such as approving permits for drilling on federal lands, have long been required by the National Environmental Policy Act, which dates back to 1970. Now, projects in the NPR-A would be covered by a single environmental study, rather than case-by-case reviews.
The proposed rule would also require the BLM to issue permits for covered projects within 60 days of developers’ applications. The proposal arrives in response to a petition the Alaska Oil and Gas Association submitted in May, which called on the Trump administration to help fast-track development in the Arctic region.
The NPR-A, which sprawls across 23 million acres, is regarded as a highly attractive site for new oil development. It is also home to caribou herds, migratory birds and other wildlife and provides important subsistence resources for surrounding Native villages.
Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted in the Federal Register until Nov. 9.
