A federal judge on Wednesday voided Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approval of ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow development envisaged for Alaska’s North Slope, citing a failure by BLM to analyze the project’s downstream greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

willow project

In a written ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason of the District of Alaska said the environmental impact statement for Willow should have included a quantitative estimate of emissions resulting from oil consumption or it should have explained why the estimate could not be produced.

Additionally, Gleason said BLM failed to consider reasonable development plan alternatives for the project that may have offered better protection for wildlife including caribou in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area.

The decision was in...