Ninth Circuit says Willow Project construction season can proceed while case is under consideration this winter

By
Suzanne Downing
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6

The group appealing to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to halt progress on the North Slope Willow Project lost a round in court today. The court agreed with the lower District Court that the ConocoPhillips winter construction season may proceed, and said there will be no temporary injunction while the case is pending.

“ConocoPhillips is pleased the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction pending appeal. ConocoPhillips is proceeding with Willow construction as we continue to review the court’s decision,” ConocoPhillips said in a statement.

The litigants, Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, had sued because they said the Biden Administration didn’t taken greenhouse gas emissions from Willow into consideration, and that the project would contribute to climate change. The groups said that the project might damage environment important to polar bears and other animals of the Arctic. They attempted to get this winter’s construction season spiked while the appeal of the project was pending at the Ninth Circuit.

Rick Whitbeck of Power the Future commented, “Like a stopped clock having the correct time twice a day, every now and then, the 9th Circuit gets a decision correct.  Their decision to allow the Willow project to move forward once again slaps down the extremist organizations looking to harm Alaska’s bright energy future.  Willow is good for Alaska, good for the U.S., good for national and energy security, and – as shown by the decision this week – on technical and legally sound footing.” 

Willow is a major oil project on the edge of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on the North Slope. Environmentalists oppose it because of climate change politics. Over the expected 30-year lifespan of Willow, it may produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day, for a total of 600 million barrels of oil, generating between $8 and $17 billion in revenue.

The court ruling said opening briefs are due Dec. 29 and the arguments will be on the court calendar for February.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Heck of a way to try to run a business. Don’t know how they manage a profit with all the stop and go and litigation. Maybe they should be further rewarded with a new tax if they get to the point of production. Seems to fit the pattern.

  3. “The litigants, Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, had sued because they said the Biden Administration didn’t taken greenhouse gas emissions from Willow into consideration, and that the project would contribute to climate change.”
    The courts also didn’t take into account the destruction of the habitat of the Alaskan Ice Fairies and unicorn herds that frequent the tundra in the fall. Good grief, how many people out there have been as scientifically challenged as John Kerry?

  4. The consequences of voting-in Liberals & Democrats. Honestly, Alaskans should’ve voted for and supported Trump, including Daddy’s Little Princess!

  5. Maybe Alaskans will be allowed to develop into a civilized society respecting the laws and rights inherent to all of us – endowed by our Creator – how does that go? Until the native organizations and ancsa anilca are made to address legal ambiguity and nuances in law that impede all of our constitutional rights nothing will change. Incredible win for Alaska – it really blows my mind down here in the lower 48 even Colorado most people don’t know Alaska is bigger than California… They really are not taught the actual land mass of our state superimpose over the contiguous united states. I also think having our election certified by the state and stopping the market concentration antitrust behavior like having people like Ethan Schutt from the Alaska Native tribal health consortium running the state piggy bank is a total conflict especially after the massive fraud they committed in healthcare. Anyway. Maybe we’ll be allowed to grow and develop a society like here in Colorado where people are first – not. Sarcasm please read the sarcasm in that statement – States like Colorado, New Mexico, California and Nevada use Alaska like the oil industry b+tch – the messaging is always deny arctic development and give it to the.. it’s a commerce fight for who gets to control energy – here in Colorado they let Canada run the refineries – I laughed when they shut down because they couldn’t handle the cold weather.

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