Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to stop the ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project in Alaska from going ahead after it was approved by the Biden administration, Axios reports.
The coalition alleges that the administration approved the project despite knowing the harm posed to Arctic communities, wildlife and climate, and argues that it will spew toxic emissions and greenhouse gas pollution, undermining President Biden's climate promises, Axios said.
The project is estimated to produce about 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years and will be located on a portion of Alaska's North Slope — one of the last unspoiled wilderness areas in the country, the report said.
The Willow project that initially got the go-ahead during the Trump administration has the backing of officials including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), some Alaska Native leaders and unions.
The groups accused government agencies of failing to consider the impact on land used by Alaska Natives and on endangered species such as polar bears, the report added.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the approval Monday of ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve is teeing up a new high-profile legal brawl that will likely align the Biden administration and Republican lawmakers against environmentalists who have largely backed the president’s climate agenda.
The pared-down project, Politico report added, opens up three new oil and gas drilling areas of the western North Slope — two fewer than originally proposed by the oil company — but green groups say the approval still undermines the Biden administration’s commitment to halve nationwide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The brewing legal battle highlights a sharp divide between a Democratic administration and environmental groups over the extent to which public lands and federal waters should be available for oil and gas development.