Call To Action: TONIGHT IN ANCHORAGE!
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Our friend, Carl Portman (NGP Photo), of the Resource Development Council for Alaska (RDC) reminds us that tonight the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will be holding a public hearing at 7 p.m. on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193.
The hearing will be held at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 109 W. International Airport Road. Members and supporters of the Consumer Energy Alliance, RDC and the Alaska Support Industry Alliance should arrive at 6 p.m. for a brief meeting along with refreshments.
BOEM has initiated a 45-day public comment period ending December 22nd on the draft SEIS. Swift finalization of this document and reaffirmation of the lease sale is critical to preserving the opportunity to explore for Arctic resources.
Portman says, "It is critical that those supporting offshore energy production in the Chukchi Sea turn out to express support.
"I realize many of us have testified several times on this particular lease sale over the past seven years. However, it is vital that we have a strong turn out at this hearing because our opposition is mobilizing its forces to condemn the sale and block any further activity offshore. As many of us know, decisions are influenced by those who show up."
We agree with Portman that 'testimony fatigue' cannot deter us. After all, decisions on permitting, conditions attached to permits and future appeals of agency decisions can be affected by the weight of public testimony one way or another. We should not let Alaska's interests be out shouted and out weighed by preservationist/activists simply because ordinary citizens preferred the comfort of a warm home on a December night in Alaska.
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