Plaintiffs argue that the environmental review was cursory and did not fully examine risks to wildlife, fragile tundra, and subsistence resources relied upon by nearby communities. They also claim the agency relied on mitigation measures that contain “significant flaws” and that baseline data for caribou and other species were outdated or incomplete.
The exploration program could commence as soon as surface conditions allow and extend through April or early May, the lawsuit says. Winter operations are necessary because frozen ground and ice roads reduce surface disturbance, but the groups assert that even seasonal activity could disrupt caribou migration routes and fragment habitat.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, contacted after the filing, stated via email that it considers its exploration plan and permits comprehensive and legally sound. The company said it intends to finish the work within the limited winter window and will implement all required safeguards for wildlife and the environment.
The Department of the Interior declined to comment on the litigation, citing agency policy on active court cases. The suit asks the court to set aside the BLM’s decision and to prohibit any field activities until a new, more detailed analysis is completed.
Tension over development inside the NPR-A has persisted for decades. At roughly 23 million acres—an area comparable to the state of Indiana—the reserve is the largest block of federally managed land in the United States. Successive administrations have shifted policy on how much of the tract should be open to leasing. The Trump administration moved to roll back restrictions adopted under President Biden, and legislation enacted earlier this year directs federal officials to hold the first lease sale in the area since 2019.
Alaska’s Republican governor and congressional delegation have welcomed broader access to the reserve, arguing that new production would bolster state revenue and national energy security. Environmental organizations counter that expanding fossil-fuel extraction conflicts with efforts to slow climate change and could degrade one of the most ecologically intact regions of the Arctic.
The litigation highlights divisions within Alaska Native communities. Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, one of the plaintiffs, describes itself as an alliance of Iñupiat individuals and villages focused on protecting cultural and environmental integrity. The group contends that industrial expansion threatens subsistence practices and weakens social cohesion. By contrast, Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, a separate entity representing many North Slope local governments and corporations, has publicly supported additional drilling in the NPR-A, viewing it as a source of jobs and economic opportunity.
The reserve contains Teshekpuk Lake, the largest lake in Arctic Alaska and the third-largest in the state. Federal biologists have identified the surrounding wetlands as critical habitat for migratory birds and calving grounds for the Teshekpuk caribou herd. The plaintiffs say increased noise, vehicle traffic, and ground vibration from seismic equipment could cause herd displacement during a sensitive period.
The approved exploration project follows years of high-profile development on the North Slope. ConocoPhillips’ Willow project, located nearby, received federal approval in 2023 after multiple legal challenges and remains one of the largest planned oil projects in the United States. Opponents of the new exploratory work argue that cumulative impacts from multiple developments have not been adequately assessed.
The case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for Alaska, though a timetable for preliminary motions has not yet been set. If the plaintiffs secure an injunction, ConocoPhillips may be unable to mobilize equipment across seasonal ice roads, effectively delaying operations for at least a year.
More information on the Bureau of Land Management’s land-use planning process is available on the agency’s official site, the Bureau of Land Management.
Crédito da imagem: Associated Press
