Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Seattle, WA -- Today, the Seattle City Council joined cities across the country in committing not to do business with any company that seeks to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The vote comes in the wake of historic, bipartisan action in the U.S. Congress to protect the Refuge from drilling.
Considered sacred to the Gwich’in Nation and key to their food security and way of life, the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge has been protected for generations, but the Trump administration is pushing to hold a lease sale there as soon as this winter despite overwhelming public opposition.
In the resolution passed today, the council notes that, “The City of Seattle believes that it is irresponsible for a corporation to pursue drilling in one of the last remaining wild places in the United States and to threaten the rights of the Gwich'in people.” Similar resolutions have already been passed in Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, and West Hollywood, California, as well as Madison, Wisconsin and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Today’s vote comes as the Trump administration’s plans for drilling in the Arctic Refuge continue to unravel. Plans to conduct destructive seismic exploration for oil in the coastal plain have been delayed by at least a year, and BP, the only company with insider knowledge about how much oil might actually be there, recently announced plans to sell off all its operations in Alaska. A growing number of financial institutions have committed not to finance Arctic drilling, and last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to stop leasing in the coastal plain.
“Seattle’s rejection of Arctic oil is yet another blow to the Trump administration’s reckless plans to sell out the Arctic Refuge for drilling,” said Alli Harvey, Alaska Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign. “The American people don’t want to see this special place spoiled by drilling, and financial institutions, leaders in Congress, and cities across the country are taking note. Oil companies should read the writing on the wall and stay far away from Trump’s Arctic drilling boondoggle.”
“It’s great knowing that untouched, unpolluted places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge still exist on the planet, and it is crushing to think that we are on the edge of perhaps making a decision that would end the possibility of the Gwich’in people continuing to live their traditional subsistence lifestyle,” said Seattle City Councilmember Mike O'Brien. “I’m really grateful for the Sierra Club and other coalition members that have diligently worked on something like this that we don’t get to see every day here in Seattle. I’m excited to support this resolution. It’s consistent with actions the City has taken in the past and I think it accurately represents what the vast majority of what people in Seattle believe too.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.