BREAK THE ICE

Trump Administration Has Finalized Plans to Open Up Massive Arctic Refuge to Big Oil: Report

The almost unspoiled wilderness is vital for the survival of caribou, waterfowl, and polar bears.

The Trump administration has finalized plans to open up an enormous 1.6 million-acre coastal plain to oil and gas drilling, according to a report from The Washington Post. The move will reportedly auction off oil and gas rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—an almost unspoiled wilderness which is vital for the survival of caribou, waterfowl, and polar bears. In a statement, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said his department was following through on the 2017 budget bill that allowed the federal government to conduct oil and gas leasing on the iconic wild place. However, the president himself didn’t seem to be aware of the move when he was asked about it on Fox & Friends on Monday morning. Asked about the news, which broke during his phone interview, Trump said: “We’re looking at different things. We may or may not do it... I’ve been very good to Alaska, and we are looking at things in Alaska.”