ELR Citation: 53 ELR 20059
No(s). 3:23-cv-00058-SLG and 3:23-cv-00061-SLG (D. Alaska Apr 3, 2023) (Gleason, J.)

A district court denied environmental groups' motions to preliminarily enjoin construction on an oil project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. One of the groups argued BLM violated NEPA and the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act (NPRPA) by failing to consider a reasonable range of alternatives and arbitrarily limiting its authority, and violated the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act by failing to consider alternatives that would reduce impacts to subsistence uses. The other group argued BLM violated NEPA and the NPRPA by failing to meaningfully consider reasonable alternatives that would minimize the project’s adverse effects on climate and special areas within the reserve, and violated NEPA by failing to properly analyze downstream global greenhouse gas emissions from future oil development on adjacent lands for which they assert the project will serve as a catalyst. The court found plaintiffs failed to show they would likely be irreparably harmed if construction proceeded on the project, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest tipped sharply against injunctive relief. It denied both motions for preliminary injunction.