ANWR Drilling

My stance on drilling in the ANWR is one based mostly on national security and the overall welfare of this country. This effort could dramatically expand the much needed domestic oil production. You have been lead to believe that drilling in the ANWR would dramatically change, or destroy the wildlife in the area, but his is far from the truth. Alaska is full of pristine wilderness. The ANWR covers 19.5 million acres of land, and with the last 20 years of drilling technology advancements, the area effected or the “footprint” left behind is much smaller than before. The oil fields in Alaska would cover less than .01 percent of the ANWR. Modern sophisticated operations adopt many environmental sensitive methods, which further limit ecological impact. This oil, could potentially produce 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, and could last up to a quarter of a century, increasing domestic oil production by 25%. This oil will also reduce the national trade deficit by 14 billion dollars per year. The Alaskan government will also split the estimated 2.6 billion dollars in revenues with the federal government. The state will receive about 1.3 billion dollars. This explains why three-fourths of Alaskans are behind oil drilling. For those who felt that the Inupiat people are totally against the oil industry coming onto their land, guess again, Inupiat Mayor, George Ahmagak, of the North Slope Borough wrote last June, “…As Mayor, I can state unequivocally ( without exception) that the people of the North Slope Borough enthusiastically support the presence of the oil industry in our land.... The wisdom of our Elders teaches us the value of hunting where game is most plentiful. Likewise, it makes sense for our nation to seek oil in an
area that even [DOI] has identified as the country's best prospect for new petroleum deposits."(1) As you can see, the pros for oil drilling outweigh the cons for drilling. This oil is needed, unless you are prepared to pay 3 dollars for a gallon of gas.

1. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Its People, Wildlife Resources, and Oil and Gas Potential (Office of the Governor, Juneau, Alaska; North Slope Borough, Office of the Mayor, Barrow, Alaska; Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska, June 1995)

Work Cited:

http://www.heritage.org/library/categories/enviro/em432.html
By John Shanahan, Policy Analyst, The Heritage
Foundation
Executive Memorandum No. 432, October 17, 1995