Trump to Sell Arctic Oil Rights Days Before Biden Sworn In
- Accelerated timeline complicates Biden’s vow to protect refuge
- Oil companies can vie for tracts in ANWR during Jan. 6 auction
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
The Trump administration is racing to sell oil drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before Joe Biden takes office so the president-elect can’t revoke the contracts.
The Interior Department announced Thursday it will hold the auction on Jan. 6 -- an accelerated timetable meant to ensure the oil and gas leases are formally issued before Biden is sworn in Jan. 20. Biden has vowed to permanently protect the refuge, but formal leases are contracts with the federal government and are difficult to cancel.