Governor Sean Parnell Tells Washington Journalists of Plan to Boost Alaska Oil Production To 1 Million Barrels/day.

Julie Hasquet of Senator Mark Begich’s Office and Megan Hermann of Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Energy Committee office Provided This Link To Pipeline Throughput Study

Shell’s Marvin Odum Optimistic About Arctic, reports AP’s Dan Joling

USGS Boosts Estimate of Cook Inlet Oil and Gas, reports ADN’s Erika Bolstadt

(Written en route from Bismarck to Anchorage…IOGCC stories and photos will appear here.  -dh)

Alaskans Turned Out Last Night To Defend Alaska’s Future!  Soldiers From International Environmental Activist Organizations Turned Out Too!

by

Dave Harbour

(With Help From Many Readers, Including Carl Portman {NGP Photo-L} and Jeff Jones {NGP Photo}.) 

Last night about 100 Alaskans turned out for hot dogs and conversation, an hour before the 7 p.m. federal hearing regarding OCS exploration of the Chukchi Sea.  The "Eat, Drink and Testify" event, organized by a number of Alaska non profit volunteers, encouraged citizens to make their views known on a "Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement" (SEIS).  Joining them as allies were "Pro-OCS Jobs Polar Bears" in costume.  The local non-profit volunteers came from the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Resource Development Council for Alaska, Chambers of Commerce, Consumer Energy Alliance and other individuals who chipped in to arrange for BBQ hot dogs along with a tent and chairs outside the Loussac Library hearing venue in the summer sun.  We hear that about 80 hot dogs and an unknown number of soft drinks were consumed.  

The Pro-OCS crowd consisted of about 100 and 32 of those testified, including private citizens, government officials and representatives from a broad sector of the economy, including mining, timber, tourism, trucking, oorganized labor, 

Testimony of the majority group of Pro-OCS citizens focused on a variety of issues, including:

  • The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is 2/3 empty and throughput is declining at an alarming 6% annual rate.  Since TAPS provides nearly 90% of Alaska’s revenue stream, the economic future of Alaska depends on refreshing throughput with new oil from other sources including the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, ANWR, NPR-A.
  • America’s national security, balance of payments deficit, economic recovery and high unemployment rate all require the reasonable but timely development of the Arctic.
  • Alaska’s statehood compact implies reasonable development of natural resources on state and federal lands.
  • The Arctic can be safely explored.  If we don’t do it ourselves, we will import energy from others employing less certain environmental standards.
  • The President’s selling of SPR oil is a short term fix, no substitute for long term Arctic oil supplies.

Speaking against Chukchi exploration at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Enforcement (BOEMRE) hearing were about 11 Alaska representatives of a number of international and national environmental activist groups, including the Pew Environmental Group, Sierra Club, Wilderness Society along with several allied Alaska Native speakers.  The general theme of their remarks was that the SEIS is flawed and lacks critical data.  

Some of their arguments were:

  • We shouldn’t move forward until the data gaps are eliminated
  • Alaska does not have the highest safety and environmental standards in the world
  • Just say no to new drilling
  • Say goodbye to the oil and gas industry
  • We need to develop our renewable energy resources and break our addiction to oil
  • Industry lacks the capability to clean up a spill in the ArcticRebecca Palsha by Dave Harbour, Alaska OCS, Chukchi SEIS
  • Pipeline is not in jeopardy of closing anytime soon. 
  • The ocean is our garden

We were delighted that KTUU’s Rebecca Palsha (NGP Photo above-r) covered the event, capturing the Pro-OCS polar bears, interviewing one citizen and covering several of the witnesses.

 

 

Unfortunately, only one of sixty Alaska legislators turned out to testify and support Chukchi exploration, Senator Cathy Giessel (NGP Photo-r) of South Anchorage.   Other government officials speaking in favor of Chukchi development included Larry Baker (NGP Photo) representing Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and a representative of Governor Sean Parnell’s administration, Jodie Simmons of the Department of Natural Resources.  No government speakers opposed Chukchi development.

Testimony of our readers and various OCS supporters included: Tom Maloney (NGP Photo-r), Aves Thompson (NGP Photo, L Aves Thompson, ATA, Alaska Truckers Association, Pro OCS Polar Bears, BOEMRE, Lease Sale 193with pro-OCS bears 2-11) et. al.  Lucy Bishop said: "We need to keep the Alaskan Pipe Line for Alaska’s survival & job security.   We need all the oil & natural gas we can produce to keep America independent!".  Reader Margy Johnson testified and later wrote an Opinion-Editorial for us.  The American Trucking Association later weighed in.  Others included Peter Macksey, Curtis Smith, Ben Mohr, Maynard Tapp, Renee Limoge, Michael Jesperson, Russell Sell, Collan McCarthy, Carl Portman, Susan Childs, John Sturgeon, Ron McPheters, Jennifer Taylor, Stacey Dean, Dave Cruz, Wayne Leighty, Len horst, Mike Houst, Kim Knudson, Rocky Dipple, Tom Lovas, Keith Silver, Laurie Becwar, Betsy Lawer, John Shively, Kate Williams, Cody Lee.

The anti-OCS witnesses included: Muja Johnson, Michelle Daniel for the Pew Enavironmental Trust, Mae Daniel, Marilyn Houser, Paul Kendal, Lois Epstein, Marilyn Heiman, Steve Senner, Dorthy Lazar and the Sierra Club’s Lindsey Hajduk.