Yukon’s Duncan says United States stands firm on ANWR drilling

Gary Park

Yukon Premier Pat Duncan, after a private meeting with U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, is now certain the Bush administration won’t change its mind on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

She said a brief discussion with Norton during the Western Governors’ Association annual meeting in Idaho in mid-August made it obvious Norton would not budge from her support for ANWR drilling.

Duncan said Yukoners would have been “quite discouraged” had they heard Norton’s position. “She was definitely very pro-development.”

Duncan said she explained the concerns of Gwich’in people of Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, who have “viewed this area as a sacred place for thousands of years” and argue that any drilling will endanger the calving ground of a caribou herd that is a vital part of their existence.

“The argument against drilling and the opposition against drilling is heartfelt,” Duncan said in a conference call. “To (Norton’s) credit, she did recognize this.”

She said the Gwich’in arguments are making an impact on Norton, but not enough to override her greater desire to secure more domestic oil supplies for the United States.