Alaska Challenges New NPR-A Oil and Gas Leasing Rules in Lawsuit by Reuters

The state of Alaska announced on Wednesday that it has initiated a lawsuit against new federal regulations governing oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

In April, the Biden administration implemented measures aimed at restricting oil and gas drilling and mining activities in Alaska. The new regulations effectively prevent development on 40% of NPR-A to safeguard wildlife habitats and the lifestyles of indigenous communities, though they do not impact existing oil and gas operations.

Alaska officials criticized the regulations, stating, “The new rules were passed without proper input from affected parties, exceeded their congressional authorization, and were rushed into place as an end-run on congressional oversight.”

The NPR-A encompasses approximately 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope, making it the largest expanse of undisturbed public land in the United States. Alaskan Attorney General Treg Taylor emphasized that the lawsuit aims to challenge what the state views as federal overreach that disregards Alaska’s rights.

Alaska claims to have sought involvement in the rulemaking process, providing comments and requesting more time for input. However, state officials argue that the regulations were hastily enacted to circumvent potential changes in congressional oversight.

Earlier on Tuesday, Alaska also filed a lawsuit against the federal government to recover lost revenues stemming from the cancellation of oil and gas drilling leases in the 19.6 million-acre federal Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).