The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a final environmental impact statement for an oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), clearing a major hurdle in advancing the process.
The step is a major achievement for the long-time advocates who have been pushing for decades to open ANWR and who contend that a small portion of the pristine refuge can be developed without major damage to the whole, while helping to fuel local jobs and economic activity.
