|
Murkowski turns heat on Canadian minister Senator wants Canada to play fair on environmental issues, look in own backyard before slamming ANWR
Steve Sutherlin PNA Managing Editor
US. Sen. Frank Murkowski said in a Sept. 26 letter that he was highly disappointed by comments in opposition to Arctic oil development from David Anderson, Canada’s minister of environment — considering the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Canada’s own accelerated energy exploration program in the Arctic.
On Sept. 25, Anderson told Reuters he hopes the United States will not make a "hasty and ill-considered" decision to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because of the attacks.
“No energy policy decision in recent memory has been more thoroughly subjected to long-term strategic considerations than has the issue of energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” Murkowski said in a letter to Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Kergan.
Murkowski said Canadian leasing was undertaken with no more "hasty and ill-considered" a decision-making process than that applied to current proposals to develop ANWR.
“In view of the fact that ANWR development proposals would provide significant environmental safeguards, I must register my strong protest to your government's position as articulated by Mr. Anderson," Murkowski said. Senate gets the lowdown Murkowski, during a speech on the Senate floor Sept. 26, said Canada has previously explored for oil in the calving area of the Porcupine herd, built the Dempster Highway directly across the herd’s migration route and is permitting oil leasing in the herd’s migration area. He said companies in Canada have done nearly 600 square miles of seismic testing during the past three years and are planning exploratory wells in the area.
Murkowski said that the Minister's comments ignore the fact that America will protect the calving area by restricting surface disruption to only 2,000 acres, and by imposing drilling restrictions during the short calving season.
"I have no objection to Canada's oil exploration efforts to the east of Alaska nor do I feel I have a license to object. Indeed, I have great respect for the manner in which such efforts have been conducted. However, the continuing and off-handed objections of your government to a similar program on the American side of the border, in view of the events of Sept. 11, strike me as unbalanced, unfair and motivated by interests other than respect."
| 