A three‑judge panel of the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday declined to take apart a Biden-era federal approval for ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project on the edge of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Though the court said there were some procedural shortcomings in the Bureau of Land Management’s review, those errors were minor in nature and insufficient to block the project.
“We’re thrilled that the Willow Project can move forward. The court highlighted its significant benefits for our state, including job creation and better access,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “The tide is turning. Common sense in the courts hopefully becomes a constant in the future. Alaska is a resource development state. We do it better than any place in the planet.”
The appeals court told Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and the Natural Resources Defense Council to take a hike.
Judge Gabriel P. Sanchez, a liberal Biden appointee, issued a dissenting opinion, saying the procedural mistakes were enough to halt progress. Now, attorneys for the environmental litigation industry are evaluating whether to elevate the case to the Supreme Court.
While the court sent the environmental impact study back to the BLM and directed officials to explain their decision for reducing the drilling plan from five drilling pads to three, the question of an appeal to the US Supremes remains. But work is already underway at Willow, located on land set aside 100 years ago specifically for petroleum development. The size of Indiana, the NPR-A covers approximately 23 million acres. The Willow footprint is 385 acres, less than 0.002% of the total NPR-A. ConocoPhillips plans on first oil production by 2029.
All of you radical Marxist environmental wackjobs who spew your hateful propaganda about man-made climate change………..
Take an effing HIKE.
Very thoughtful comment that misses obvious storyline that the 9th Circuit said ConocoPhillips can proceed.
Try and stay in the right-of way Batty.
Don’t those folks realize we need oil to power the machines to mine the minerals needed for their electric cars😂
Looks like the radical maoist thugs at EarthJustice have to pass on the bad news to the noble ‘natives’ aka #TribesThatBribe in their villages (population 0)
Yes! Suck it, (D)ems! Suck it enviro-Nazis! A brighter future for my grandkids!
Peltola claimed that she was singularly responsible for getting this project approved, and that it never would happen without her. That lie didn’t get her reelected, however.
Biden is gone as well as his minions Deb Haaland Mary Peltola and…(you are next, Lisa) so goodbye to their ignorant lockdowns on resource development.
It will be interesting for BLM to explain
why the Biden admiration reduced the drilling plan from five drilling pads to three. Perhaps a BLM review under the Trump administration will make findings that all five drilling sites make sense environmentally. That would be lots of irony for the ‘environmental litigation industry’.
The odds that SCOTUS will take up the case are very low.
Agreed.
lets all celebrate this by signing the petitions to rid our great state of RCV, knowing we’ll be one step closer to removing princess lisa. Onwards & upwards.