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Norton outlines ANWR position to U.S. House If exploration yields oil and gas discoveries, feds will insist that development proceed cautiously Steve Sutherlin PNA Managing Editor
On June 6, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton spoke to the House Resources Committee in Washington, D.C. about oil and gas exploration and development on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Following is what she said about the Bush Administration’s position on ANWR.
“The President is proposing to open a small fraction of the 19 million acres in ANWR for oil exploration using the most high-tech, environmentally responsible methods. The president and I both believe that oil and gas development can successfully coexist with wildlife in Alaska’s arctic region.
“ANWR is located in the northeast corner of Alaska and is about the size of South Carolina; however, the portion of the refuge known as the 1002 Area is only about 6 percent of the total refuge. Disturbance restricted “We expect that no more than 2,000 acres will be disturbed if the 1002 Area is developed. The 1002 Area was excluded from wilderness designation and Congress specified that it be studied further through a comprehensive inventory of its fish and wildlife resources, and the potential for oil and gas production. Estimates of substantial resources in the 1002 Area based on nearby drilling results and seismic data have made it one of the most promising prospects for oil and natural gas in the United States.
“In 1998, a USGS assessment of petroleum resources of the 1002 Area estimated the expected volume of technically recoverable oil beneath the 1002 area to be 7.7 billion barrels, with a 95 percent chance of 4.2 billion barrels and a 5 percent chance of 11.8 billion barrels. For comparison, the U.S. currently consumes about 7 billion barrels per year. Of this, the U.S. imports about 4 billion barrels and produces about 3 billion barrels. Congressional action would also open up Native-owned lands. The overall mean estimate of technically recoverable oil for the 1002 region, including Native and state offshore areas is 10.4 billion barrels.
“The refuge provides a variety of Arctic habitats supporting fish and wildlife species.
“The wildlife most associated with the 1002 Area is the Porcupine caribou herd, named after its wintering grounds along the Porcupine River of northwest Canada. Currently numbering nearly 130,000 caribou, the herd migrates each year across the Brooks Range to arrive in early summer on the North Slope’s coastal plain in the 1002 Area and eastward into Canada.
“Contrasting with the migratory nature of the Porcupine caribou herd, musk oxen are year-round residents on the 1002 Area. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, to survive the long winter, approximately 250 animals in scattered groups carefully conserve their energy reserves by minimizing their activities until summer.
“In the fall, polar bears from the Beaufort Sea region visit the area along the coast and barrier islands to forage, rest, and wait for the sea ice to form. Later toward winter, pregnant females enter dens either on the sea ice or on land and give birth to their young.
“One hundred forty-six bird species are known to visit the 1002 Area. Approximately one-third of these nest and raise broods during the brief summer while the remainder use the refuge as a resting stopover during spring and fall migrations. The 1002 Area, including its lagoons, supports 8 species of marine mammals, 62 species of coastal fish, and 7 species of freshwater fish of which the Arctic grayling and Arctic char are common. Several of these species are important as subsistence food resources. Native positions “The Inupiat Eskimo Village of Kaktovik is located on the northern border of the Arctic refuge coastal plain. Their subsistence resources include marine mammals, fish, caribou and musk oxen.
“The Kaktovik Inupiat Corp., KIC, owns 92,000 acres of private land within the refuge boundary. This land cannot be developed for oil and gas unless Congress authorizes leasing of the 1002 Area.
“On the whole, Kaktovik residents support oil and gas development in the 1002 Area.
“South of the 1002 Area and on the other side of the Brooks Range, the Gwich’in Athabascan people live in villages in Alaska and Canada. Gwich’in rely heavily on the Porcupine caribou herd for subsistence, and caribou figure prominently in their cultural heritage. because of their concern over the potential impacts to the herd, the Gwich’in villages of this region oppose oil development in the 1002 Area.
“Our support for enactment of authority to lease oil and gas resources in ANWR is a prime example of the Department’s dual commitment to energy development and environmental conservation.
“We recognize that the ecological resources of the refuge are unique and precious. We must respect and conserve this wealth for future generations of Americans.
“However, because of advances in technology and in our enhanced understanding of the ecology, we are now able to proceed with exploratory work with very little long-term effect. Development criteria “If this exploration discovers as much oil and gas as we hope, we will proceed cautiously with development and production.
“To achieve this goal under our proposal, lessees will be required to use directional drilling and ice road technologies to reduce the extent of surface alteration.
“We will require lessees to operate in a no discharge, no litter mode. All materials and fluids brought into the refuge will be taken out or injected into deep wells.
“We will require monitoring of wildlife populations and habitat conditions so that unexpected degradation is identified early and actions are taken to prevent and restore.
“We will require restoration, both as activities proceed and when production is shut down at the end.
“Our goal must be to have no significant alterations in wildlife populations or the environment after oil and gas production are finished.
“The President and I know that there is a long history of debate surrounding opening ANWR to energy development. However, we believe that new technologies enable us to conduct environmentally safe oil and gas exploration and production. Any legislation must contain adequate safeguards to protect wildlife and other environmental values.”
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