The groups filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against the
Groups involved in the lawsuit include the Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic,
They also claim the federal land bureau failed to provide a plan to mitigate harm to Arctic communities and public health, the
The oil project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska involves multiple drill sites, a processing facility and gravel roads and pipelines. The Trump administration approved the plan in October.
The
The agency in a statement Wednesday said it stands by its environmental analysis for the development.
“Our science-based decisions are legally compliant and based on an extensive process involving input from BLM career subject matter experts and the public. The BLM continues to implement its multiple-use mission and safely and responsibly develop its natural resources,” the agency said.
Conservation groups said the project is a threat to the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, a complex in the 36,000 square-mile (93,000 square-kilometer) reserve that supports birds and caribou. The groups said the oil project could negatively affect polar bears.
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