A coalition of environmental groups petitioned the Interior Department on Wednesday to phase out the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, starting with a climate analysis of the pipeline to assess its contribution to global warming.
“A coherent national climate plan must consider the Trans-Alaska Pipeline,” said Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group of former public employees, in a statement. “In order to understand America’s climate outlook, we need to start paying attention to how much longer TAPS will operate, as well as what type and how much crude Alaskan oil it will carry.”