The state of Alaska is going to stand by President Donald Trump’s side in court to defend an order aiming to reopen large parts of the Arctic Ocean to oil drilling.
Today, Gov. Bill Walker’s administration filed a motion to intervene in support of President Trump in a lawsuit over whether he can reverse President Obama’s Arctic drilling ban.
In the waning weeks of his Presidency, Obama removed the Chukchi Sea and most of the Beaufort Sea from any future oil leasing. Then in April, President Trump signed an executive order to reverse that decision.
Soon after that, a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming the reversal is illegal.
In a statement, Governor Walker said he’s supporting the Trump administration to ensure future opportunities for oil and gas development near Alaska.
Elizabeth Harball is a reporter with Alaska's Energy Desk, covering Alaska’s oil and gas industry and environmental policy. She is a contributor to the Energy Desk’s Midnight Oil podcast series. Before moving to Alaska in 2016, Harball worked at E&E News in Washington, D.C., where she covered federal and state climate change policy. Originally from Kalispell, Montana, Harball is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
