The New York Times reported that ConocoPhillips has held a lease on the potential drilling site for more than two decades and that administration lawyers argued that denying a permit would trigger a lawsuit that could cost the government up to $5 billion. . So, from a legal perspective, the Biden administration could not afford to file a multi-billion dollar lawsuit to get it approved anyway, especially with an election year around the corner.
Now this controversial past of Willow lends itself to two kinds of arguments that certainly cast doubt on the veracity of this project. Who is in favor, who is not, who supports, who does not, why we should support, why not and many more.
The economic benefits of the Willow Project outweigh its environmental benefits by a wide margin. The main objective is estimated to reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, particularly from Russia and Saudi Arabia. Although the Bureau of Land Management has stated that the project places more emphasis on providing jobs and generating revenue for local communities, it is estimated that the Willows project will generate approximately 2500 jobs and up to $17 billion in federal tax revenue. And 50% of it will be legitimately distributed to the state of Alaska, with priority given to those most affected by this development project.
The project has received overwhelming political support over time, including from state lawmakers, Alaska’s entire bipartisan congressional delegation, Republican senators, as well as Democratic Representative Mary Patola, who was previously elected to the Alaska Native Congress. Most people in the North-Slope region and other indigenous communities have shown their support in the hope of benefiting from the revenue generated which is to invest in infrastructure, funds and public services such as education and health care for the local people.
