| Hastings and Boehner Push ANWR |
|
|
|
|
Washington DC- House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings and Alaska Representative Don Young introduced legislation to open the 10-02 Coastal Plain area of ANWR to oil and gas development. The bill The Alaskan Energy for American Jobs Act, numbered HR. 3407, repeals section 10-03 of the Alaska National Interests Lands Claims Act (ANILCA) to allow oil and gas exploration and production within the 10-02 and commands the Secretary of Interior to lease lands within the 10-02.
The bill supersedes and updates a previous bill HR 49 by Don Young introduced early in Congress last year. The main differences are the provisions for allowable development footprint and inclusion of special no development zones.
The Speaker of the House John Boehner has coordinated to add the ANWR provision to a larger bill HR.7 the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act once HR. 3407 passes out of the Resources Committee. HR. 7 will contain two other provisions: one on opening up more Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore areas and the other to promote oil shale development. The three provisions of HR. 7 are expected to make it to the floor and will most likely pass the House making it the 12th time the US House has passed legislation supporting development of the 10-02. Should HR. 7 pass the House it will meet tough times in the US Senate against Chairman Bingaman from New Mexico of the Senate Energy Committee, and the Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Both are opposed to pursuing a oil as a national energy source and both are opposed to allowing exploration in ANWR. It is uncertain how the national pressure for jobs and energy, which is how HR7 will be politically advertised, will play on the reception or potential passage of the bill in the Senate. The President has stated he does not support development in ANWR and yet has ordered annual oil and gas lease sales from the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska about 100 miles away to the west. The announcement on HR 3407 can be viewed here: The announcement on HR 7 can be viewed here:
|
| Next > |
|---|