Stevens says darkness before dawn on ANWR drilling

Alaska’s U.S. senator counts 48 votes for ANWR; three other off again/on again senators are from states where labor is powerful

Steve Sutherlin

PNA Managing Editor

Sen. Ted Stevens likens the current negative mood on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the pall that hung over the issue of Alaska statehood just before Congress abruptly shifted to a pro-statehood stance and welcomed the 49th state into the Union. Now, as then, the comments of naysayers will prove to be entirely immaterial once emerging political and economic forces lead Congress to approve drilling in the area, Alaska’s senior U.S. senator maintains.

At a May 30 press conference in Anchorage Stevens said he remains confident that Congress ultimately will approve ANWR development despite statements to the contrary by new Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.

“It saddens me to hear (Daschle) say that as majority leader; it’s not material,” Stevens said.

“When gasoline is $3 a gallon on the East Coast it will pass,” Stevens said, adding that prices are predicted to hit that level in summer 2002.

Stevens lauded the support of labor for ANWR development and said that in addition to ANWR jobs, labor is concerned about massive layoffs in energy-dependent industries if prices spike too high.

“The margins of these companies can’t take a 100 percent fuel price increase,” he said.

Stevens said there are about 48 votes in the ANWR camp now, and that three members who are off again-on again supporters but currently counted as no votes are from states where labor is powerful.

California’s energy troubles are “the AIDS of the energy era, spreading east,” and in the East the problems will be more serious because the region is more sensitive about building new generators and refineries than California is, Stevens said.

“The bell’s going to toll for those that are opposed,” Stevens said.

ANWR could pass next session, but he said there is no need to put a timetable on it.

“We have the gas line,” he said.

Steven predicts that the gas line and new oil and gas discoveries in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska will create a boom in the state by themselves.

He expects gasline construction to begin in 2004.