5-31-13 Feds Will Listen Then Do What They Wanted To Anyway

In Dan Healing’s Calgary Herald story yesterday…

…he noted that, "Saving the oil and gas industry’s market access woes would add 20,000 extra direct jobs over the next 10 years, according to a report by an industry group."

Market access is another current challenge Canada and Alaska share–including the environmental and political roadblocks which constantly delay and threaten defeat of otherwise prospective projects that could sustain quality of life for this and future generations. -dh

Homer News by Molly Dischner. Sean Parnell (NGP Photo) left the Legislature’s budget largely intact when he signed off on $6.8 billion in general fund spending for the 2014 fiscal year.

"We’re From Washington And We Want To Listen To Your Concerns Before We Do Our Thing!"

"Public Notice; What’s That?

Comment by Dave Harbour

While unverified, we have it on good authority today that on June 6th, next Thursday, the Interior Department’s head of the Ocean Energy Management Bureau, Tommy Boudreau, will have a “Listening Session” on the Obama Administration’s Arctic Standards plan, from 11 a.m. to 2pm at Anchorage’s Loussak Library. Once again, a D.C. traveler will come North to "listen" before doing what he intended to do to Alaska in the first place, in our opinion. Why "listen"? Is this a way of arranging a hasty summer trip to Alaska without having to post notices in the Federal Register, well in advance? If it’s not a formal hearing, will the things "heard" become a part of the record? "I did my duty, boss; I went to Alaska and I listened," one could imagine a conversation going. How can a "listening session" become a part of a quasi-legislative record if everyone did not receive proper notice to be heard? If things heard will not be a part of the formal record, why come to "Listen" in the first place? This is even worse than the BLM’s hearings on National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. In that case, the D.C. executives did the worst thing to Alaska — and America — they could have done but at least the hearing was noticed. We would like to know all the places Boudreau visits and whether the entire summer Alaska trip is in reality, work or pleasure. We apologize to newer readers who think us too cynical; however, we’ve seen this Administration’s Alaska playbook too many times to be fooled again. For example, based on an earlier experience with Secretary Salazar, we suspect that NGO’s opposed to Alaska natural resource development are well informed of the trip whereas we general public citizens have yet to see a formal announcement. We urge the Congress, Governors and critical thinkers everywhere to safeguard the rule of law when it is in the clutches of such bureaucrats. Be aware, Alaska; beware America. -dh

In a release yesterday, the Pebble Partnership said that Development of the Pebble copper deposit could have significant economic impacts to thestate of Alaska including an estimated $136 to $180 million in annual taxes and royalties, annual expenditures that could place the operation among the top tier companies in the state, and an estimated 600 percent increase in new tax revenue for (local Borough governments) according to an extensive report by IHS Global Insight, a leading global source of critical information and insight.

Among the key findings of the report commissioned by the Pebble Limited Partnership, are that the copper, gold and molybdenum mine could support more than 16,000 jobs nationwide during construction, including nearly 5,000 jobs in Alaska alone during that time frame with an average annual wage of $63,500 per year. Pebble operations could support nearly 15,000 jobs in Alaska and the Lower 48; and potential subsequent development phases could support more than 16,000 jobs nationwide.

“Pebble is a substantial multi-billion dollar state asset as shown by this report, which provides great insight regarding the long-term positive economic impacts the project could have for the region, state and the Lower 48,” said Pebble CEO John Shively (NGP Photo).