Press Releases
Alaska Delegation Welcomes Next-To-Last Step for Federal Re-Approval of Willow Project
Washington,
February 1, 2023
Alaska Delegation Welcomes Next-To-Last Step for Federal Re-Approval of Willow Project Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) today welcomed the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) release of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project on Alaska’s North Slope. “The Willow Project has earned very broad support from communities on the North Slope, Alaska Native leaders, labor unions, and stakeholders across the political spectrum. That’s because Willow is environmentally-just, meticulously planned, and will bring significant economic, fiscal, and security benefits with truly minimal environmental impact,” Senator Murkowski said. “While it has been a long and arduous road to get back to this point, we have pushed hard, as a delegation, and are now just one step away from Willow’s re-approval. I urge the administration to maintain a viable project by selecting Alternative E – without further limits or extraneous conditions – in its Record of Decision. Thousands of good union jobs—and immense benefits that will be felt across Alaska and the nation—will hang in the balance until a positive final decision has been issued.” “The final supplemental EIS released today is an important step. The Willow project is enormously important, not only for the economic security of Alaska, but also for the energy security of the nation and all hardworking Americans who have suffered from record energy prices for too long,” said Senator Sullivan. “I appreciate the support of the very broad-based group of Alaskans—Alaska Native communities, labor unions, leaders of the North Slope Borough, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), and countless others—who have strongly endorsed this project. In the next 30 days, collectively, we need to amplify our voices in support of this project. We know radical far-left environmental groups, their allies in the White House, and adversaries like Russia, China, and Venezuela, do not want to see this project happen. For the good of Alaska and our country, we must continue to keep the pressure on this administration to produce a final record of decision that ensures this project remains economically viable with at least three drilling pads. Further delaying or halting this project only serves to harm hard-working Americans, our environment, and the national security of America.” “The Willow Project has been one of my top priorities because it is deeply important to our future as a state,” said Representative Peltola. “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. Crucially, this revenue source will also give the state options to address large challenges like our changing climate and economic outmigration. At a time when Republican and Democratic leaders in Alaska are both discussing the importance of investing in education to meet these challenges, Willow is the obvious choice to realize the revenue needed for those investments. By keeping the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System alive, this project will help give Alaska a fighting chance to find new paths forward to a cleaner economy. I am glad for the release of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and urge the Biden Administration to move forward with final approval of the project by selecting the preferred Alternative E plan, which allows 3 drill sites, the minimum for Willow to remain economically viable. Anything less would effectively kill the project, amounting to a backdoor veto over the people of Alaska, who have made their voices heard through a broad coalition of labor, business, community, and Alaska Native leaders. This coalition includes the Inupiat Community of the North Slope, the North Slope Borough, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and more. The Willow project has been thoroughly studied and has earned a social license from the region and the state—it’s time to let Alaskans get to work.”
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