This Commission is responsible for overseeing oil and gas drilling and production, reservoir depletion, and certain other operations on private and state-owned lands in Alaska.
[1] In 1977, with oil production occurring in Prudhoe Bay, the Alaska Legislature decided that an independent quasi-judicial agency should be created in the executive branch of the state.
The Commission website lists their primary mission as "To protect the public interest in exploration and development of Alaska's valuable oil, gas, and geothermal resources through the application of conservation practices designed to ensure greater ultimate recovery and the protection of health, safety, fresh ground waters and the rights of all owners to recover their share of the resource.
As part of this injection process, oil corporations must obtain an Aquifer Exemption Order granted by the AOGCC in areas with deep groundwater supplies.
[1] Some environmental groups such as the Cook Inletkeeper as well as First Nation people have contested these Aquifer Exemption Order, as they are concerned they may contaminate groundwater supplies.