Washington DC (March 15, 2023)–This morning Earthjustice filed a lawsuit on behalf of Greenpeace USA, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Earth, and Natural Resources Defense Council to stop the massive Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska’s Western Arctic, which the Biden administration approved March 13.
Ebony Twilley Martin, Executive Director at Greenpeace USA, said: “President Biden, we’ll see you in court.”
“Sir, you can’t have it both ways. Either you are a climate leader or you’re not and this move accelerates the very same destruction that you promised to end. You have once again tried to sacrifice people who live in nearby communities to oil and gas company profits. We will not stop fighting because our lives depend on it.
“As a mother fighting to give my children a healthier home, it is painful to think about the communities that will be most impacted by this approval. They will be the first to feel the effects of the polluted air from the massive oil drilling that disrespects generations of families that have lived there. People’s lives are at stake here-and you promised you’d finish the job on climate. Keep your promise.”
The legal challenge targets the Biden administration for failing to consider alternatives that could have meaningfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions and on-the-ground effects. It also takes the administration to task for failing to assess Willow’s full climate impact, by neglecting to consider the additional climate pollution of future development that can only happen once Willow project infrastructure is in place.
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Contact: Rocio Estrada, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], 301-592-7700
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org
