The U.S. Interior Department is preparing to ease environmental review requirements for some oil and gas exploration activities in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve as part of the Trump administration's push to speed energy development in the Arctic, an Interior spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The agency is working on a proposed "categorical exclusion" that would accelerate permitting for winter oil and gas exploration activities, including seismic surveys and exploratory drilling operations in the reserve, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The proposal would be based on findings from dozens of prior environmental reviews showing that winter exploration activities conducted under established operating procedures and mitigation measures have no significant impacts, the spokesperson said.
"These efforts are about using decades of experience and analysis to create a more efficient, predictable, and effective process while upholding environmental standards," the spokesperson said.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to travel to Alaska this week as administration officials continue promoting energy development in the state. A proposed LNG terminal in the state that is a high priority for Trump has recently encountered setbacks, including a stalled bill in the state legislature that would have offered support for the project.
The move by Interior was first reported by High Country News, which said the proposed categorical exclusion could allow winter exploration and drilling activities in the reserve to proceed without project-specific environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is a roughly 23-million-acre area on Alaska's North Slope that is a focus of the Trump administration's efforts to boost domestic oil and gas production.
Environmental groups have criticized efforts to streamline Arctic drilling approvals, arguing they could weaken protections for wildlife and sensitive tundra ecosystems.
(Reuters - Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Daniel Wallis)