Politics
Trump to Rush Drilling Leases in Arctic Before Biden Takes Over
- Federal leases are contracts hard to rescind once issued
- Biden has pledged to block oil drilling in Alaskan refuge
Source: Getty Images
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The Trump administration is advancing plans to auction drilling rights in the U.S. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has vowed to block oil exploration in the rugged Alaska wilderness.
The Interior Department is set to issue a formal “call for nominations” as soon as Monday, kick-starting a final effort to get input on what tracts to auction inside the refuge’s 1.56-million-acre coastal plain. The plans were described by two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named detailing administration strategy.