In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has approved a proposal allowing Hilcorp Energy Company to drill in federal Arctic waters. Located just off the northern Alaska coast, the drill site is less than 30 miles from Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and a spill like this would be almost impossible to clean given the climate conditions.
Projects like this are an oil spill waiting to happen for any company, but Hilcorp seems like an especially bad choice for this initial venture. Recently they've had a few leaks and a state regulatory report wrote that "disregard for regulatory compliance is endemic to Hilcorp's approach to its Alaska operations."
Although this venture has the Trump administration's blessing, Hilcorp will still need to obtain state permits before beginning, which is why we're asking the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to take a stand against this decision. Some spots are just too precious to take the risk.
