Biden to approve new oil drilling project

OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 7:58 AM – Saturday, March 11, 2023

Biden’s administration is expected approve a new oil drilling program that would produce. “up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day.”

The Biden administration will likely push forward with an enormous oil drilling project in Alaska, which is a blow for environmentalists. This 30-year project will create thousands of jobs and produce over 600 million barrels total of oil.

According to reports, three of the five proposed drilling sites by ConocoPhillips were approved by top officials. The company claimed previously that this was for its “Willow Project” To be economically viable, at least three of the five locations must be approved by the federal government.

Fox News interviewed Senator Dan Sullivan (R.Ala.) about the Willow Project’s importance and the opportunities it presents for President Joe Biden.

“This decision on Willow is a huge test for the Biden administration on so many issues that they claim to care about,” He said. “Of course it’s critically important to Alaska, but it’s critically important to America — a project of this size when we need energy security.”

The project was approved initially by Former President Donald Trump. However, a federal judge stopped it to ensure that an environmental assessment could be done.

ConocoPhillips claimed that the project would create over 2,500 construction jobs and 300 long-term jobs and generate approximately $17billion in revenue for Alaska, the federal government and the communities. This project will require construction of 250 wells, multiple pipelines, a processing facility, a new airport and a gravel mine.

The president has been urged by industry groups, legislators, and local communities to approve the project because of the potential economic benefits. However, environmental activists argue that the project would cause irreparable damage to the environment.

Opponents to the proposal claim that it would harm the environment by causing damage from both construction and emissions from oil drilling. “carbon footprint irreconcilable with the Biden administration’s broader climate agenda.”

“The Willow project is a climate disaster waiting to happen that would devastate wildlife, lands, AK communities, and our climate,” The Sierra Club responded to the proposal via Twitter “We need to speed our transition to clean energy, not double-down on oil and gas.”

Democrat lawmakers are also urging President Trump to reconsider the project. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Republican from Oregon, stated that if the project were to be approved it would be a “review.” “betrayal of Biden’s promise.”

“If this story is right, it’s a complete betrayal of Biden’s promise not to allow more drilling and a complete catastrophe to rein in climate chaos,” He tweeted. “You can’t ask other countries to forego their fossil fuels if we keep greenlighting projects here in America.”

Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the top Democrat in the Natural Resources Committee, stated that the project was the “exact opposite of what the Biden administration stands for.”

Mary Peltola, a Representative from Alabama, stated that the project was vital for providing an adequate level of healthcare. “substantial boost for the state and local communities.”

“The Willow Project has been one of my top priorities because it is deeply important to our future as a state,” Peltola said. “In the short term, this project will provide thousands of good-paying union jobs and help jump-start Alaska’s economy. In the long term, the revenues from Willow will pay for essential state services like public safety and investments in our education system.”

The Bureau of Land Management has released its environmental impact report for the project. Although the agency stated that the project would produce large amounts of carbon emissions, they also said that foreign oil imports could cause even more.

While the Department of the Interior should publish its final decision about the Willow Project, the White House president and other senior White House officials are actively involved in the approval process.

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