To prevent the auction of oil and gas drilling rights off the coast of Alaska that is slated to take place next week, environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Wednesday.
The lawsuit was brought before an Alaskan federal court at the same time as the Interior Department was getting ready to sell almost 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet on December 30. The Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s response to climate change, includes the sale as one of its concessions to the oil and gas industry (IRA).
The administration must hold the auction by December 31 in accordance with the legislation. Before the IRA was established, Interior had abandoned the Cook Inlet sale due to a lack of interest from the industry.
A representative for the Interior Department declined to comment on the case.
Cook Inletkeeper, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Center for Biological Diversity, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, and Natural Resources Defense Council are the organisations suing the administration.
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