Murkowski Expected
to Offer ANWR Amendment
DATE:
May 8, 2003
BACKGROUND:
Freshman Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is expected to offer an
amendment to S. 14, the Energy Policy Act of 2003. The amendment,
if approved, would authorize oil drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge but limit surface area development in the ANWR
to 2,000 acres. A similar amendment was approved by the House
of Representatives in August, 2001. Oil exploration in ANWR was
defeated in the Senate earlier this year as a part of the fiscal
year 2004 budget package.
TEN SECOND RESPONSE: The amendment is designed to allow moderates
who might otherwise oppose drilling the chance to support a plan
that is good for America's future.
THIRTY SECOND RESPONSE: Limiting development to 2,000 acres
would mean that more than 99 percent of ANWR's 19 million acres
would remain untouched.1 Exploration would not negatively affect the
environment and it would provide thousands of jobs and decrease
America's dependence on foreign oil.
DISCUSSION:
President Clinton's Department of Energy confirmed that current
technology allows exploration to be done in an environmentally-friendly
manner. Ice-based roads, bridges, drilling pads and airstrips
have become the standard for drilling in the Alaskan North Slope.
It leaves virtually no marks on the tundra; ice structures simply
melt in the spring.2 After 20 years of oil exploration at nearby
Prudhoe Bay, the population of caribou has grown from 3,000 to
as high as 23,400.3 Besides, modern infrastructure already exists
in ANWR. The Inupiat Native Americans - the only people native
to the region - already have an airstrip, power lines and an
oil well.4
The benefits of oil exploration in ANWR
are numerous. It could provide between 250,000 and 735,000 new
jobs5 and has a potential value between $125 and $350
billion (in 1998 dollars).6
The U.S. Department of Interior estimates
that ANWR can provide between nine and 16 billion barrels of
recoverable oil.7 This would approximately replace what we currently
import from Saudi Arabia for 30 years or replace one-half of
what we import from the entire Persian Gulf for 36 years.8
Oil exploration also gets tremendous
support from those who know best: the people from Alaska, not
politicians such as Congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who
opposes ANWR drilling. (Congressman Markey requested a hearing
to discuss ANWR's future. When his request was granted, although
he has never visited ANWR, Markey did not attend the hearing.9)
The Inupiat Native Americans support exploration by a margin
of 78 percent to nine percent.10 Pro-drilling resolutions in the Alaskan legislature
have received 100 percent support from both parties.11
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
National Policy Analysis #324, "Environmentalists'
Opposition to Oil Exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge Is Unfounded," by John Carlisle at http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA324.html
National Policy Analysis #371, "Wishes
Won't Fuel Our Economy: We Need Drilling" by Amy Ridenour
at http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA375.html
Ten Second Response #TSR21302, "Bill
Clinton's Department of Energy is on Record: Oil and Gas Exploration
is Environmentally Friendly" by Tom Randall at http://www.nationalcenter.org/TSR21302.html
National Policy Analysis #305, "Government
Restrictions on Domestic Energy Development Contribute to U.S.
Dependence on Foreign Oil," by John Carlisle at http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA305.html
Ten Second Response #TSR73001, "Environmental
Groups Target Congress on Bush Energy Plan/ANWR" by Gretchen
Randall at http://www.nationalcenter.org/TSR73001.html
"Top Ten Reasons to Support Development
in ANWR," Arctic Power ANWR website, available at http://www.anwr.org/topten.htm
as of February 6, 2003
"City of Kaktovik ANWR Survey,"
January 2000, Arctic Power ANWR website, available at http://www.anwr.org/features/kaktovik.htm
as of February 7, 2003
"The Players," Arctic Power ANWR website, available
at http://www.anwr.org/features/players/residents.htm as of February
6, 2003
"Potential Oil Production from the
Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Updated
Assessment," U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information
Administration, Washington, D.C., available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/arctic_national_wildlife_refuge/html/execsummary.html
as of January 27, 2003
by Chris Burger, Program
Coordinator
The John P. McGovern M.D. Center for Environmental and Regulatory
Affairs
The National Center for Public Policy Research
Contact the author at: 202-543-4110
or cburger@nationalcenter.org
The National Center for Public Policy Research
777 N. Capitol St. NE Suite 803
Washington, D.C. 20002
Footnotes:
1 "Top Ten Reasons to Support Development
in ANWR," Arctic Power ANWR website, downloaded from the
Internet at http://www.anwr.org/topten.htm on May 6, 2003.
2 "Environmental Benefits of Advanced Oil and Gas
Exploration and Production Technology," U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Technology, Washington,
D.C.
3 U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski, "Drilling Won't Make
it Less of a Refuge," The Washington Post, December 10,
2000.
4 Ibid
5 "Top Ten Reasons to Support Development in ANWR,"
Arctic Power ANWR website, downloaded from the Internet at http://www.anwr.org/topten.htm
on May 6, 2003.
6 "Potential Oil Production from the Coastal Plain
of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Updated Assessment,"
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration,
Washington, D.C., downloaded from the Internet at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/arctic_national_wildlife_refuge/html/execsummary.html
on May 6, 2003.
7 "Top Ten Reasons to Support Development in ANWR,"
Arctic Power ANWR website, downloaded from the Internet at http://www.anwr.org/topten.htm
on May 6, 2003.
8 Gretchen Randall, "In Movie Theatre Ads, Actor
Martin Sheen Attacks Proposed ANWR Drilling," Ten Second
Response, October 19, 2001, available on the Internet at http://www.nationalcenter.org/TSR101901.html.
9 "Hearing in Katkovik - 'Where's Markey?'"
Press Release, Governor Frank Murkowski, Juneau, AK, April 5,
2003.
10 "City of Kaktovik ANWR Survey," January 2000,
Arctic Power ANWR website, downloaded from the Internet at http://www.anwr.org/features/kaktovik.htm
on May 6, 2003.
11 "The Players," Arctic Power ANWR website,
downloaded from the Internet at http://www.anwr.org/features/players/residents.htm
on May 6, 2003.