U.S. orders new review of drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The United States will start a newenvironmental review of oil and gas leasing in an Alaskawildlife refuge, it said on Tuesday, a process that maydetermine the fate of drilling parcels handed out in the finaldays of the Trump administration.

The widely anticipated move comes two months after U.S.President Joe Biden's administration suspended the nine leasesin the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge pending an environmentalanalysis.

During his campaign, Biden pledged to protect the 7.9million-hectare pristine habitat for polar bears, caribou and migratory birds.

When it suspended the leases, the Interior Department said anew review would determine whether they would stand, be voided,or be subject to mitigation measures.

The administration kicked off that review with a notice on afederal government website announcing a 60-day public commentperiod. The entire process could take about 18 months tocomplete, it said.

The analysis will address "deficiencies" identified in whatis known as the environmental impact statement conducted duringthe administration of then-President Donald Trump, the noticesaid. The supplemental review will evaluate the program'simpacts on greenhouse gas emissions, wildlife, wetlands andvegetation.

Trump's Interior Department sold the leases in January overthe objections of environmentalists and Indigenous groups.

The Alaskan state government had pressed for the sale fordecades, hoping that opening the enormous refuge would helprevive its declining oil industry. In 2017, Congress passed alaw requiring two lease sales in the area within seven years.

The program is the subject of lawsuits by green and nativegroups that allege the Trump administration violated federal lawby performing a faulty environmental analysis that failed toadequately consider its impact on wildlife and native people.

Leases were issued for nine tracts covering 174,000 hectares.An Alaska state agency holds most of them, while private companies Knik Arm Services LLC and Regenerate Alaska Inc eachhold one lease.