Native Alaskans Sue Biden Admin Over Oil Drilling Ban
Submitted by MAGA
Posted 55 days ago
Native Alaskans are taking a stand against the Biden administration's decision to shut down oil and gas development in northern Alaska. The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (VOICE), a nonprofit advocacy group for Native-American communities living on the state’s North Slope, has filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland over the final BLM’s final rule blocking 13 million acres in their region to oil and gas development.
The lawsuit argues that the rule goes against the Congressional intent of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), which was to increase domestic supplies of oil. The NPR-A is part of ancestral Iñupiat homelands and is located entirely within the North Slope Borough (NSB), a home-rule government created so that the communities would have a say and benefit from responsible development in the region.
The decision to block oil and gas development in the NPR-A is expected to have a significant impact on the communities living in the NSB. The tax revenues from Alaska’s oil and gas industry have provided essential public services, including sewer, water, heat, sanitation, schools, clinics, hospitals, wildlife and fisheries management and research, infrastructure, and social and cultural programs. This is in addition to providing jobs and other economic benefits.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the Supreme Court decision shooting down the “Chevron deference,” which gave wide latitude to federal agencies to make impacting rules where federal law was vague. The high court’s ruling is expected to result in many lawsuits, such as that filed by VOICE, as now judges will be interpreting the law as written by Congress.
The Biden administration has claimed to be dedicated to engaging with Native American tribes in its rulemaking process, but the final rule on the NPR-A disregarded input from the Iñpiat. Members of the VOICE had tried for years to get an audience with Haaland to discuss the impacts of the BLM rules, only to have the requests repeatedly declined. Last month, representatives of VOICE were finally granted a meeting with her.
The unwillingness of the BLM to hear and address their concerns factored into their decision to file the lawsuit. The lawsuit is a clear indication that the Native Alaskans are not willing to stand by and let the Biden administration make decisions that will have a significant impact on their communities without their input. It is a call for the administration to engage with the communities and consider their concerns before making decisions that will affect their lives.
The lawsuit is a reminder that the Biden administration must be held accountable for its actions and that the Native Alaskans will not be silenced. It is a call for the administration to engage with the communities and consider their concerns before making decisions that will affect their lives. It is a call for the administration to respect the Congressional intent of the NPR-A and to allow for responsible development in the region.
Sources:
justthenews.com
theepochtimes.com
rumble.com
The lawsuit argues that the rule goes against the Congressional intent of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), which was to increase domestic supplies of oil. The NPR-A is part of ancestral Iñupiat homelands and is located entirely within the North Slope Borough (NSB), a home-rule government created so that the communities would have a say and benefit from responsible development in the region.
The decision to block oil and gas development in the NPR-A is expected to have a significant impact on the communities living in the NSB. The tax revenues from Alaska’s oil and gas industry have provided essential public services, including sewer, water, heat, sanitation, schools, clinics, hospitals, wildlife and fisheries management and research, infrastructure, and social and cultural programs. This is in addition to providing jobs and other economic benefits.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the Supreme Court decision shooting down the “Chevron deference,” which gave wide latitude to federal agencies to make impacting rules where federal law was vague. The high court’s ruling is expected to result in many lawsuits, such as that filed by VOICE, as now judges will be interpreting the law as written by Congress.
The Biden administration has claimed to be dedicated to engaging with Native American tribes in its rulemaking process, but the final rule on the NPR-A disregarded input from the Iñpiat. Members of the VOICE had tried for years to get an audience with Haaland to discuss the impacts of the BLM rules, only to have the requests repeatedly declined. Last month, representatives of VOICE were finally granted a meeting with her.
The unwillingness of the BLM to hear and address their concerns factored into their decision to file the lawsuit. The lawsuit is a clear indication that the Native Alaskans are not willing to stand by and let the Biden administration make decisions that will have a significant impact on their communities without their input. It is a call for the administration to engage with the communities and consider their concerns before making decisions that will affect their lives.
The lawsuit is a reminder that the Biden administration must be held accountable for its actions and that the Native Alaskans will not be silenced. It is a call for the administration to engage with the communities and consider their concerns before making decisions that will affect their lives. It is a call for the administration to respect the Congressional intent of the NPR-A and to allow for responsible development in the region.
Sources:
justthenews.com
theepochtimes.com
rumble.com
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