Monday, April 1, 2019 (Wasilla, AK) – A federal judge’s decision to overturn President Donald Trump’s executive order lifting an Obama-era ban on responsible oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s offshore arctic is being met with opposition and regret by Alaska Governor Michael J. Dunleavy.
“I am disappointed by this ruling and its implications for the state and national economy,” said Governor Dunleavy. “Alaska’s potential offshore oil and gas deposits, if given the opportunity to be safely and responsibly developed, can create jobs, revenue and economic opportunity for decades. One president should not have the power to lock up Alaska’s resources in perpetuity. America needs Alaska’s natural resources.”
Shortly before leaving office in 2016, President Barack Obama issued an overreaching executive order preventing lease sales for 125 million acres in the Arctic Ocean around Alaska. A year later, President Donald Trump revoked that order, so lease sales could one day be held.
“We expect this decision could be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court and my office will participate in any way possible to see this decision overturned,” said Attorney General Kevin Clarkson.
Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) could hold as much as 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 tcf of natural gas, making it one of the world’s most significant untapped regions for oil and gas development.
The judge’s ruling states only the United States Congress has the power to overturn the Obama executive order.
“As Governor, I am committed to working with our congressional delegation to overturn Obama’s executive order and bring a new era of prosperity to Alaska and the country,” said Governor Dunleavy.
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