Brouillette Comments on Arctic Oil & Gas Financing Deeply Offensive

WASHINGTON — In offensive comments published today, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette likened the reluctance of major banks to finance oil and gas development in the Arctic to the discriminatory practice of redlining.

The following is a statement by Niel Lawrence, Alaska director at the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Banks have been running away from financing drilling in the Arctic in droves. And they’re absolutely right to—it’s dangerous, hastens our climate crisis and robs our grandchildren’s future.  But it is deeply offensive to compare these investment decisions to willful and illegal discrimination against citizens on the basis of race. We’re confident that American lenders won’t be bullied by such base and racist rhetoric.” 

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org