The move to preserve the preserve the pristine wilderness has been sought by Alaskan tribes, but would keep the critical minerals in the region from being mined.
The Biden administration is preparing to reject a controversial road-building project needed to mine major copper and zinc deposits in the remote Alaska wilderness, a move sought by native tribes, but one that would keep critical minerals essential for the U.S. clean energy transition out of reach.
In a final environmental analysis due out later this week, the Interior Department is expected to issue a recommendation that would effectively kill the Ambler Road project in its current form, according to two people with knowledge on the decision who were granted anonymity because it was not yet public. A document explaining the administration’s stance is due 90 days after publication of the environmental impact statement.
If the Biden administration ultimately rejects the access road, its decision will likely be challenged by the state agency overseeing the project. And a rejection is sure to infuriate Alaska lawmakers who lobbied the administration to allow the road to be built.
The Ambler Road decision represents the latest challenge to Biden’s efforts to balance his climate goals, which require building out a domestic supply chain for the minerals needed to transition away from fossil fuels, while ensuring that the clean energy push he is spearheading will not harm tribal communities.
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