On August 17, 2020, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced plans for an oil and gas leasing program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clearing the way for drilling in the remote Alaskan area.
Bernhardt said future leases of the federally-owned land will make the entire 1.5 million acre Coastal Plain area available.
Bernhardt said the announcement "marks a new chapter in American energy independence" and predicted it could "create thousands of new jobs."
Please select this link to read the complete article from CNN.