Zinke sets aside $4 million to forge ahead with drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Despite public pushback and continued litigation, the U.S. Department of the Interior plans to spend $4 million on construction projects to ready the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says the funds will build infrastructure, such as an aviation fuel storage unit and cabins for field operators. But drilling in the refuge is not a done deal: A 60-day environmental review is still underway, and advocacy groups and community members, including native Gwich’in people, continue to rally against fossil fuel exploration in the region, which is home to polar bears, migratory birds, and the breeding grounds for nearly 200,000 porcupine caribou.
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