The Biden Administration took a major step forward in environmental conservation on Sunday as they announced plans to limit or ban oil drilling in 16 million acres of land in Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

The first part of the plan is to bar drilling in nearly 3 million acres of the Arctic Ocean, closing off federal waters from oil exploration. This will be followed by the development of new rules for more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska . This area encompasses the Teshekpuk Lake, Utukok Uplands, Colville River, Kasegaluk Lagoon and an area known as Peard Bay.

The announcement comes as regulators prepare to announce a final decision on the controversial Willow project pushed by ConocoPhillips. If approved, Willow would be the biggest new oil field in decades in Alaska, producing up to 180,000 barrels a day. The approval of the project would