Giant North Slope oil project takes step toward final approval

Plus: What Alaska leaders, advocacy groups and industries are saying about the EPA rejection of Pebble mine Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Matson]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, February 1. In today's newsletter: - The Biden administration issued a long-awaited study today that recommends the partial approval of a major oil development on Alaska’s North Slope. - The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to block development of the Pebble copper and gold mine near the headwaters of Bristol Bay drew both celebration and condemnation in Alaska. - Alaska’s most expensive earmarked project in the federal spending bill funds a $99 million sports and fitness center at Fort Wainwright. As a historian, David Reamer is no stranger to questions about all manner of topics spanning Alaska's early days. In this week's column, he [endeavors to answer a few recent queries]( including: did Anchorage have hippies in the '60s? And, is it true that the popular Buns of Steel workout was created in Alaska? 🌨️ Anchorage weather It's overcast today with a high of 29 degrees and snow is likely through the day and overnight. The chance of snow will last through the rest of this week and into the weekend, with high temperatures in the mid- to high 20s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Giant Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope nears final approval]( [Giant Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope nears final approval]( ConocoPhillips Alaska had proposed five drilling sites for the Willow project. The alternative recommended today by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, while not final, drew immediate anger from environmentalists who saw it as a betrayal of the president’s pledges to reduce carbon emissions. [Read More]( [What Alaska leaders, advocacy groups and industries are saying about the EPA rejection of Pebble mine]( [What Alaska leaders, advocacy groups and industries are saying about the EPA rejection of Pebble mine]( The agency’s “final determination” is a landmark moment for Bristol Bay leaders and conservation, tribal and fishing groups who have fought the project for two decades. But it angered Alaska politicians and business trade groups, who said it raises the prospects that the federal government could stop other important projects. [Read More]( [Alaska’s top-funded earmark is a $99 million sports and fitness center at Fort Wainwright. Officials say it will promote military mental health.]( [Alaska’s top-funded earmark is a $99 million sports and fitness center at Fort Wainwright. Officials say it will promote military mental health.]( The facility will house an indoor track and AstroTurf field where soldiers can train and build community during winter months. As U.S. Army Alaska responds to an uptick in suicides in recent years, officials say the facility is key to well-being on the base. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT [Combined threats keep Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga numbers perilously low, scientists say]( [Combined threats keep Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga numbers perilously low, scientists say]( The dire state of the endangered beluga population, which is now below 300 animals, is blamed on a variety of factors from industrial noise to food stress and climate change. For scientists working on how the population can recover, the sheer range of problems can make it hard to come up with answers. (Via Alaska Beacon) [Read More]( [Federal Reserve lifts key interest rate a quarter-point, and signals more hikes ahead]( [Federal Reserve lifts key interest rate a quarter-point, and signals more hikes ahead]( The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a quarter-point today, its eighth hike since March. Though smaller than its previous hike, the latest move will likely further raise the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Alaska labor commissioner resigns for undisclosed reasons]( [Alaska labor commissioner resigns for undisclosed reasons]( (Via Alaska Beacon) [Read More]( [Chugiak hockey completes undefeated regular season with their eye on the top prize]( [Chugiak hockey completes undefeated regular season with their eye on the top prize]( [Read More]( [Patient who brought in weapon fatally shot 2 men at Delta Junction rehab facility, charges say]( [Patient who brought in weapon fatally shot 2 men at Delta Junction rehab facility, charges say]( [Read More]( [Tyre Nichols beating raises scrutiny on ‘elite’ police units]( [Tyre Nichols beating raises scrutiny on ‘elite’ police units]( [Read More]( [House Republicans move to oust Democrat Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee]( [House Republicans move to oust Democrat Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee]( [Read More]( [Get digital access to the ADN for as low as $1.99 for the first month]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. 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