Denali gas line bill heads to president

Congress has passed legislation to allow a buried natural gas pipeline to pass through the fringe of Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve.

“Routing the pipeline through the park would not only make it less expensive to build, but could also take advantage of the existing utility corridor, preventing disturbances to wildlife and environmental impacts on undisturbed lands further to the east or west of the park boundary,” said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Murkowski sponsored the legislation, S. 157, titled the Denali National Park Improvement Act. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, was co-sponsor.

U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, carried similar legislation in the House, which on Sept. 10 passed the Senate bill by voice vote. The Senate had passed the bill in June.

S. 157 now goes to President Obama, who can sign it into law.

The legislation says the interior secretary may issue right-of-way permits for a high-pressure natural gas transmission line to run along the seven-mile stretch of the George Parks Highway that passes through the national park.

The secretary also may issue permits for “any distribution and transmission pipelines and appurtenances ... necessary to provide natural gas supply to the Park.”

Various proposals have emerged in recent years to tap North Slope gas for export, or to supply local needs in the Anchorage area. Each would require construction of a long and expensive pipeline.

One proposed pipeline route would pass through Denali. Another option, the Richardson Highway route, would swing farther to the east.

“It’s important for Alaskans that our North Slope natural gas has a clear legal path to market,” Murkowski said. “This bill allows the decisions on the best route for a pipeline to be based on economic and commercial grounds, rather than out of concern about possible delays caused by trying to win access rights across federal lands.”

The National Parks Conservation Association supported S. 157.

—Wesley Loy