Washington, January 31 (RHC)-- In environmental news, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to designate 12 million acres in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness in an effort to ban oil and gas drilling in the area.
The U.S. Congress needs to approve any wilderness designation, but the Interior Department will start managing the area under that level of protection until Congressional action is taken.
The Washington Post is reporting the Interior Department is also planning to place part of the Arctic Ocean off limits to drilling.
