(CNN) The Biden administration plans to suspend oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a senior administration official confirmed Tuesday, undoing a move made by the Trump administration late last year. The decision comes after President Joe Biden issued an executive order earlier this year instructing the Interior secretary to place a temporary moratorium on oil and gas leasing activities there, pending a review. The President's order pointed to "alleged legal deficiencies underlying the program," such as the "inadequacy" of its previous environmental review. The suspension represents the latest move by the Biden administration to reverse Trump-era environmental policies, which advocates and Democrats have said tended to favor business interests. The Trump administration last November started a leasing process for oil and gas drilling sites off the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, something environmental groups viewed as a potential last-minute giveaway to the energy industry before the Biden administration took over.

Source: CNN June 01, 2021 20:06 UTC