U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) recently urged prompt federal approval of ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow Master Development Plan in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, a project that’s expected to produce up to 160,000 barrels of oil per day.
Sen. Murkowski and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in a July 15 letter sent to Deb Haaland, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, urged completion of the Bureau of Land Management’s public comment period on its July 15 draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) on the Willow project.
“At the end of this 45-day comment period, the project will have undergone 215 days of public comment with 25 public meetings, on top of a 30-day scoping period this past February,” the senators wrote. “This clearly represents a comprehensive and rigorous public comment process.”
Sen. Murkowski and her colleague also pointed out that the results of several reviews and analyses show that the Willow project will meet and exceed the strictest environmental standards, furthering the administration’s stated goals for U.S. energy security, energy prices and social justice, according to their letter.
“We therefore firmly believe that a 45-day comment period will allow all stakeholders and the general public more than enough time to review the SEIS and provide meaningful comment,” they wrote.
Timely completion of this process is also critical for “any level of development activities” to take place during the rapidly approaching 2022-2023 winter season, wrote the senators.
“Willow has already faced multiple delays, and now again awaits approval at a pivotal moment,” Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan wrote. “Given the current pace of inflation, high gas prices and international geopolitics, we urge you to recognize the immense benefits this project will bring and act promptly to approve it.”
The senators also highlighted the project’s widespread support across Alaska, including from the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association, the ANCSA Regional Association, the Alaska District Council of Laborers, and the communities of Utqiagvik, Wainwright, and Atqasuk located on the North Slope, among many others.