Interior Department to Open Alaskan Land to Oil Drilling

Environmentalists Question Statement That Exploration Can Have Minimal Impact on Wildlife

By Justin Blum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 12, 2006; A08

The Interior Department yesterday agreed to open about 400,000 acres on Alaska's North Slope for exploratory oil drilling, an area that previously had been off limits because of concerns about the impact on wildlife.

Officials said they would lease acreage in the northeastern corner of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil companies to provide access to domestic oil supplies.

"We recognize . . . the energy needs of this nation," said Susan Childs, an official with the Bureau of Land Management. "So, hopefully, this will alleviate some of the pressure."