oil drilling Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

After Decades-Long Push, It’s Not Clear Who Will Bid In Arctic Refuge Oil Lease Sale

By NPR News January 2, 2021

A polar bear with cubs in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2014. Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, the Trump administration is trying to lock-in oil and gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with a hastily scheduled and controversial lease sale. But despite the high stakes, uncertainty looms over how much oil is actually trapped under the million acres of tundra up for leasing, and how much Read More

Trump Administration Rushes To Lock In Arctic Wildlife Refuge Drilling Before Biden’s Term

By NPR News December 3, 2020

Caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd migrate onto the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska. The refuge has long been eyed for oil exploration. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/AP

The Jan. 6 auction was set before the end of the comment and nominations period. If leases are finalized before Joe Biden takes office, they could be difficult to revoke.Read More

Trump Administration Rushes To Sell Oil Rights In Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

By NPR News November 17, 2020

An airplane flies over caribou on the coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the Trump administration is moving to sell leases for oil drilling. CREDIT: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/AP

Officials hope to auction off leases before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. He has pledged to protect the pristine landscape that's home to polar bears and migrating caribou. Read More

As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency

By NPR News June 9, 2020

Companies across the country say the pandemic is interfering with their ability to comply with laws that protect the public from pollution. The federal government is not keeping track of requests for regulatory leniency during the pandemic. CREDIT: DKAR Images/Tetra images /Getty Images

The EPA does not require companies to notify federal regulators if the pandemic interferes with pollution monitoring or reporting. That leaves states alone on the front lines of pollution control.Read More

10 Years After BP Deepwater Horizon Spill: Oil Drilled Deeper; Rules Relaxed

By NWPB News April 20, 2020

Oil in the Gulf of Mexico as the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns

Ten years after an oil rig explosion killed 11 workers and unleashed an environmental nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico, companies are drilling in deeper and deeper waters, where payoffs can be huge but risks are greater than ever.Read More

Federal Interior Department Official Who Pushed Arctic Drilling Joins Oil Company In Alaska

By NPR News September 5, 2019

Joe Balash, left, after a meeting earlier this year in Arctic Village, where some oppose oil drilling in nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. CREDIT: Nat Herz/Alaska's Energy Desk

Joe Balash, a top U.S. Interior Department appointee who pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil leasing, is taking a job with an oil company seeking to develop a major project in Alaska.Read More

U.S. Department Of Interior Moves To Roll Back Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations

By NPR News May 4, 2019

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig is seen here in July 2010, shortly before the Macondo well was capped after spilling oil for 87 days. The Trump administration has proposed revisions to Obama-era rules that aimed to prevent similar disasters. Dave Martin/Associated Press

The Interior secretary touted the revised rules as eliminating "unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining safety." But environmental groups said the move demonstrates oil industry influence.Read More

West Coast Fishing And Crabbing Groups Sue Fossil Fuel Companies For Role In Climate Change

By NPR News December 9, 2018

Dungeness crab like these, caught off the coast of Alaska, have been affected by the neurotoxin domoic acid because of algae blooms in recent years, which makes them unsafe to eat. CREDIT: Michael Melford/Getty Images

Fishing groups in California and Oregon joined the legal fray by filing suit against 30 companies, mainly oil producers. The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, the plaintiff, contends that the fossil fuel industry is at fault for recent warming-related damages to the West Coast's prized Dungeness crab fishery.Read More

Washington Tribes Oppose Canadian Pipeline, More Oil Tankers In Salish Sea

By John Ryan December 1, 2018

Representatives of Washington tribes perform a "paddle song" at the start of a hearing in Victoria, B.C., on the Trans Mountain Pipeline. CREDIT: NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD

Tribal leaders and members from Washington state crossed the Salish Sea to oppose a pipeline that could bring more oil tankers to waters on both sides of U.S.-Canada border. The Canadian government wants to expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline and triple the flow of oil from Alberta to the Pacific coast.Read More

President Trump’s Push For ‘Energy Dominance’ Boosts Drilling On Public Lands

By NWPB News November 26, 2018

Environmental groups say the expansion of oil and gas drilling on public land could harm habitat for pronghorn antelope and sage grouse. CREDIT: Cooper McKim/Wyoming Public Media

Analysts say a perfect storm is making Wyoming, the country's largest coal state, more favorable for oil and gas. Higher oil prices are certainly one factor, says Carl Larry, who advises oil and gas companies with the financial consulting firm Refinitiv in Houston.Read More

Oil Prices Hit A New Low This Year. That Could Be A Bad Thing

By NPR News November 24, 2018

The recent drop in oil prices has raised concerns about the international economy, as well as domestic growth in the United States. CREDIT: Charlie Riedel/AP

Oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Black Friday, the lowest price in a year. While President Trump credits Saudi Arabia for what he says amounts to a "tax cut," the reality is more complicated.Read More

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke Downplays Possibility Of Drilling Off Washington, Oregon Coasts

By Tom Banse April 11, 2018

File photo of an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. CREDIT: BERARDO62 / TINYURL.COM/Y8KHPH57

In congressional testimony Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said he has heard the strong opposition from the West Coast to the Trump administration's plan for offshore oil and gas drilling. He expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast.Read More

Oregon Senators Merkley And Wyden Oppose Interior Department’s Offshore Drilling Plan

By Brian Bull February 7, 2018

Offshore oil rig in California. CREDIT: SELBE LYNN/FLICKR

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is taking input on the administration’s plan to open waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to oil drilling. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says that would endanger the Oregon Coast’s environment, tourism and fishing industry.Read More

Washington Could Use Taxes, Lawsuits To Oppose Offshore Drilling

By Courtney Flatt February 6, 2018

Washington doesn’t want your offshore drilling. That was Gov. Jay Inslee’s resounding message at a press conference Monday, where he spoke out against a federal plan for offshore oil and gas drilling.Read More

Q&A: What Are The Chances Of Offshore Drilling In The Northwest?

By Cassandra Profita January 26, 2018

Drilling platform off Southern California

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to reopen the West Coast to offshore oil and gas leasing. But with strong opposition and unproven oil and gas reserves, it’s unclear whether anyone will take that chance.Read More