"Interior Department officials today mapped out their first steps toward allowing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The four-page notice of an environmental review, scheduled for publication in tomorrow's Federal Register, sets the stage for oil and gas leasing within the 19-million-acre refuge, often called ANWR.

Drilling would be limited to the 1.6-million-acre coastal plain. The region is believed to hold large oil and gas resources but also provides habitat for species like the polar bear and Porcupine caribou."

Pamela King reports for Greenwire April 19, 2018. [2]