Arctic Refuge victory in U.S. Senate Committee
Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s Arctic Refuge drilling amendment (the so-called "Directional Drilling" bill) was voted down, 13 to 10. This bill would crack open the Arctic Refuge coastal plain to oil leasing and development and undermine the fundamental purposes of the refuge to preserve wilderness and wildlife.
Porcupine caribou herd on sea ice off Arctic Refuge coast (c) Debbie S. Miller
Victory for the Arctic Refuge in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Today!
Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s Arctic Refuge drilling amendment (the so-called "Directional Drilling" bill) was voted down, 13 to 10. This bill would crack open the Arctic Refuge coastal plain to oil leasing and development and undermine the fundamental purposes of the refuge to preserve wilderness and wildlife.
Chairman Jeff Bingamen, long-time refuge champion Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Sen. Dorgan spoke against the bill during the debate. Sen. John McCain sustained his long-time support of keeping the Arctic Refuge a true Refuge!
During the debate, Sen. Murkowski insisted that there would be 'no impacts' within the Refuge, although she mentioned there would be winter seismic exploration (while failing to note that it would harm critical threatened polar bear habitat and that long-term impacts continue to this day from the one-time seismic exploration program which took place in the mid-1980’s across the wind-swept hilly Refuge coastal plain).
Chairman Bingaman (D-NM) opposed the amendment for a variety of reasons. When Sen. Risch (R-ID) asks if it can be fixed to make it acceptable, Sen. Bingaman says he can't see how it could be made acceptable. Champion Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) explained that it relies on the old 1987 EIS which would be deemed sufficient for the leasing program, that there would be harmful exploratory activities inside the refuge, major industrialization on the border of the refuge along the coast and Canning River, and that spills and pipeline maintenance problems continue to persist at the Alaskan North Slope oil fields. She also mentions there would not be gas price benefits (perhaps a few pennies a day, 20 years from now), and that it would take about 20 years to bring a drop of oil on line (if commercial oil is discovered at all).
Please join us in thanking these Senators who voted to keep the Arctic Refuge wild and free of drill rigs:
Chairman Jeff Bingamen (D-NM), Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Time Johnson (D-SD), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Robert Mendendez (D-NJ), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
View the map showing coastal plain dens and habitats along the Arctic Refuge coast that would be harmed by this bill: Polar Bear Dens & Selected Wildlife on Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain
Click here for mapped spills from oil exploration and development: Oil & Gas Industry toxic spills, Alaska's North Slope 1996-2008
See our letter to the Senate opposing drilling bill S. 503: Alaska Coalition Letter to Congress Opposing S. 503 Arctic Refuge drilling bill
