Biden suspends oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
The Biden administration announced it would suspend oil drilling leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
The Biden administration’s decision may effectively block oil and gas drilling in one of the largest tracts of untouched wilderness in the United States, ending an argument between Democrats and Republicans over whether to allow oil and gas drilling there that’s stretched more than four decades.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Tuesday published a secretarial order formally suspending the leases until the agency has completed an environmental analysis of their impact and a legal review of the Trump administration’s decision to grant them in the waning days of his presidency.
Learn more: The New York Times > Biden suspends drilling leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.