The Willow Project

What is it?

The Willow Project is a massive oil drilling expedition started by ConocoPhillips, a big oil company based in Houston, on the Alaskan North Slope. Its goal is to fill up to 600 million barrels of oil over the next 30 years. That’s 55,000 barrels of oil a day! The project was approved in 2020 by President Trump before he left office.

Controversy

Since ConocoPhillips’ plan had already been accepted, there wasn’t much Biden could do unless he wanted to get the government sued. The Biden administration has managed to get the number of drilling pads down from five to three. However, that still doesn’t change how much oil they’ll be drilling or the amount of waste that the project will produce. All it does is concentrate the waste in certain areas. No one knows exactly when the project will begin, but it should start some time in the winter. The reason it needs to be done in the winter is because ConocoPhillips needs ice roads to build the infrastructure of the project. So, not only will the project be releasing 9.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but the heavy machinery the project’s infrastructure is being built with will definitely release more. 

Supporters

Alaskan lawmakers are all for this project saying it will create job opportunities, cut back on America’s need for oil from foreign countries, and boost domestic energy production. Three of Alaska’s lawmakers met with Joe Biden to urge him to approve the project. 

Opposers

Natives who live in close proximity to where the drilling will be held are concerned about environmental impacts and health risks that the project may cause. The mayor of Nuiqsut, Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, said that other villages would get some financial benefits, but they wouldn’t be impacted as much as Nuiqut.   

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-is-the-controversy-behind-the-alaska-willow-oil-project 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html