|
ANWR update: issue heats up in U.S. Congress
Steve Sutherlin
U.S. Senate may vote on ANWR before Easter
Pro-ANWR development group Arctic Power is concerned the U.S. Senate may hurry a vote on an energy bill that calls for opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil leasing, oil and gas consultant Roger Herrera told PNA.
The National Energy Security Act of 2001, introduced by Sen. Frank Murkowski in late February, is scheduled for a vote in early April, and Herrera said Arctic Power would prefer to have more time before the vote comes around.
“The longer it drags out, the more likely some energy problem arises that focuses people on our point of view,” he said. “If there is a vote we’ll be counting our votes carefully, but we’re reasonably confident we’ll prevail.”
Murkowski told the Senate passage of the bill was necessary to reduce dependence on foreign oil:
“Each day, more than 8 million barrels of crude oil must come in from foreign shores; that is a dangerous strategy by anyone’s measure,” Murkowski said. “This bill spells out a national energy strategy with a critical goal — to finally reduce to 50 percent the amount of oil we import.”
The bill authorizes the secretary of the Interior to prepare a 200,000-acre to 300,000-acre lease sale within 14 months of the bill’s passage. A second sale would take place two years later with subsequent sales each year thereafter. Tracts of 5,760 acres would be offered for 10 year leases in competitive cash bonus bid sales. Arctic Power likely to get state funds The Alaska House approved the Senate version of a supplemental spending bill March 16, clearing the way for Arctic Power to receive $1.75 million to promote ANWR development.
Gov. Tony Knowles will sign the bill, PNA was told at press time by Bob King, the governor’s press secretary.
Cam Toohey, executive director of Arctic Power, said the money is needed to counteract messages from anti-development groups, such as the $200,000 two-week anti-development television campaign launched in March by the Audubon Society.
The Senate Finance Committee added $250,000 to the appropriation at the request of U.S. Rep. Don Young, who said the funds were needed to educate his colleagues on ANWR issues, said Dave Donley, the committee’s co-chair.
An additional $100,000 was added to help the village of Kaktovik deal with expenses of hosting visitors and fielding inquiries on ANWR. The village is the only settlement within the coastal plain and is an advocate of development.
“It may not cover 100 percent of (Kaktovik’s) expenses, but it’s a help,” Donley said. Most Alaskans support development of ANWR, poll says Oil and gas exploration on the coastal plain of ANWR is favored by 75 percent of Alaskans according to a Dittman Research Corp. poll released this month by Arctic Power.
The statewide telephone poll asked, “Do you support or oppose oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR?”
Support was especially high among older Alaskans and longer-term residents, with those 60 years of age or older 82 percent in favor of ANWR development and those who have been residents for 15 years or more 79 percent in favor.
Nine polls since 1989 have posed the same question and each showed strong support for ANWR development. The 2001 approval rating is the highest yet. Only 2 percent of Alaskans were unsure about development, the lowest level in any survey to date. Governor pushes for ANWR So far in 2001, Gov. Knowles has gone to Washington, D.C., twice to lobby in favor of opening the coastal plain of ANWR to responsible oil and gas development, and to meet President Bush and key members of the incoming administration.
The governor currently has no plans to appoint a Washington ANWR coordinator for his office, Bob King told PNA.
King said that John Katz and Anna Kerttula in the governor’s Washington office were well informed on ANWR issues and made a strong team. Who will get ANWR royalty money? The political reality is that Alaska can expect a 50-50 split with the federal government on royalties generated from ANWR coastal plain development, said Herrera.
Rep. Don Young has proposed that 90 percent of ANWR revenue go to the state and 10 percent to the federal government — the split specified in the Alaska Statehood Act. Murkowski’s Senate bill proposes a 50-50 split, based on the formula that applies to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
| 