Today We Begin the First Full Day of the Alaska Oil and Gas Congress–with American and Canadian content. Readers will find the two day agenda here, along with yesterday's important Alaska in-state energy seminar pre-conference agenda.
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Here is another current case involving EPA overreach, as reported by KTUU.com. Gov. Sean Parnell is repeating his contention that federal officials were heavy handed in investigating placer mines in the Fortymile River area last month. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Parnell on Saturday traveled to Chicken to meet with miners. … Parnell says four to seven agents with high-powered weapons and body armor barged into mining operations on all-terrain vehicles, and without introducing themselves, started taking samples. … EPA's criminal investigation division director Doug Parker has said he was comfortable with how the state-federal task force did its investigations. |
Commentary: Yesterday's shocking development!
Anglo American announced its decision to withdraw from the Pebble Partnership. In wake of the announcement, the Partnership's CEO, John Shively (NGP Photo), said: Development of the mineral resources at Pebble, with our stated commitment to co-exist with the fishery, remains an important project for Alaska. The project, when developed, will generate almost 1,000 direct Alaskan jobs, nearly $200 million in annual revenue for the state and local governments, and over one billion dollars in annual economic activity. Pebble has advanced substantially since the partnership was formed with Anglo American in 2007. The project is an important and exciting project for Alaska’s economic future. We will continue working with Northern Dynasty Minerals to move the project forward and we will share additional information about the way forward in the days and weeks ahead.
We have written extensively on this project. The Wall Street Journal has also weighed in. World minerals markets have not recently been especially generous to mining companies. And, we cannot honestly state that Anglo's decision resulted from abusive regulatory practices alone. However, we cannot help but conclude that the federal government's now well established tendency to overreach its authority has contributed to the high cost of the project.
We continue to be distressed at the state of America's traditional faith in 'due process' and the 'rule of law'. When a government agency like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can intimidate, stall and threaten the closing of a project–which lawfully leased state (not federal) land–before that project even files a plan of development or permit application, civilization's order is threatened.
When citizens begin to think that Lady Justice bases decisions on emotion rather than a balanced judgment grounded on the legal record of a proceeding, freedom itself is threatened.
When the EPA can improperly — if not illegally — preemptively threaten a mining project, why can that precedent not be employed to crush all mining, all energy, all timber, all public works and all commercial fishing projects?
Perhaps the saddest realization of this situation is that such a threat to freedom comes not from foreign sources, but is, "Made In America". -dh
All the latest on LNG from the Office of the Federal Gas Pipeline Coordinator:
- Too steep of a price drop could jeopardize LNG supply
- Latest U.S. LNG export approval prompts calls for re-evaluation
- U.S. exports could total more than 6 bcf/d under approved projects
- B.C. government wants LNG tax revenues to reduce provincial debt
- B.C. First Nations could hold key to LNG and pipeline projects
- B.C. premier calls labor leaders together to talk about LNG jobs
- Some residents complain about gas pipeline survey work in B.C.
- Alberta to look at building demand — and price — for natural gas
- First LNG refueling station west of Calgary could open next year
- Hawaii state official says LNG is a transitional fuel to renewables
- N.D. regulators still working on new rules to reduce gas flaring
- Poland to start taking Qatari LNG in 2015, but at very high prices
- French company says Australia floating LNG project delayed a year
- BG Group moves Australia LNG expansion down its investment list
- Yamal LNG considering European ports to transfer cargoes
- Japanese shipbuilders to bid on LNG tankers for U.S. trade
- Japanese shipbuilder will construct LNG tankers in China
- Maine governor supports TransCanada’s west-to-east oil pipeline
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