Obama Administration OKs Oil Drilling in Arctic off Alaska
Pepe Silvia
Posts: 3,758
most liberal president EVER!
:roll: :roll:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/07-13
Drill, Baby, Drill: Obama Administration OKs Oil Drilling in Arctic off Alaska
by Erika Bolstad
WASHINGTON -- The Interior Department today gave the go-ahead for Shell Oil to begin drilling three exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea, a move that opens the door for production in a new region of the Arctic.
"This is progress," said Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Today's announcement from the MMS is an encouraging sign that Alaska's oil and natural gas resources can continue to play a major role in America's energy security."
The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service signed off on a plan that allows Shell to drill up to three exploration wells during the July-to-October open-water drilling season. The company's proposal calls for using one drill ship, one ice management vessel, an ice-class anchor-handling vessel and oil spill response vessels, the Interior Department said. The closest proposed drill site is more than 60 miles to shore and about 80 miles from Wainwright.
"Our approval of Shell's plan is conditioned on close monitoring of Shell's activities to ensure that they are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today in a statement announcing his decision. "These wells will allow the department to develop additional information and to evaluate the feasibility of future development in the Chukchi Sea.
Shell, Conoco Phillips and other companies last year paid more than $2 billion for leases in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. The companies and state officials believe the offshore reserves could power the Alaska economy for decades.
But the potential offshore development is of concern to native Alaskans and environmentalists. Native groups along the northern coast worry the noise of offshore development could chase away bowhead whales and other subsistence foods. They, along with environmentalists, are concerned about the limited technology for cleaning up oil spills in icy water.
"Obviously we're disappointed," said Marilyn Heiman, the U.S. Arctic program director for the Pew Environment Group. "A spill could happen from an exploratory well just as easily as it could from a production well. They have not yet demonstrated they have the ability and the expertise to clean up an oil spill, especially in the darkness, the extreme weather and the icy conditions."
The Bush administration's five-year plan for oil and gas exploration off the U.S. coast is under review by the Obama administration. Salazar has held public hearings, including a meeting in April in Anchorage where then-Gov. Sarah Palin and her replacement, Sean Parnell, spoke in favor of offshore development. The agency is still considering whether to let the plan continue through 2012 or write a new one.
© 2009 McClatchy Newspapers
:roll: :roll:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/07-13
Drill, Baby, Drill: Obama Administration OKs Oil Drilling in Arctic off Alaska
by Erika Bolstad
WASHINGTON -- The Interior Department today gave the go-ahead for Shell Oil to begin drilling three exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea, a move that opens the door for production in a new region of the Arctic.
"This is progress," said Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Today's announcement from the MMS is an encouraging sign that Alaska's oil and natural gas resources can continue to play a major role in America's energy security."
The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service signed off on a plan that allows Shell to drill up to three exploration wells during the July-to-October open-water drilling season. The company's proposal calls for using one drill ship, one ice management vessel, an ice-class anchor-handling vessel and oil spill response vessels, the Interior Department said. The closest proposed drill site is more than 60 miles to shore and about 80 miles from Wainwright.
"Our approval of Shell's plan is conditioned on close monitoring of Shell's activities to ensure that they are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today in a statement announcing his decision. "These wells will allow the department to develop additional information and to evaluate the feasibility of future development in the Chukchi Sea.
Shell, Conoco Phillips and other companies last year paid more than $2 billion for leases in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. The companies and state officials believe the offshore reserves could power the Alaska economy for decades.
But the potential offshore development is of concern to native Alaskans and environmentalists. Native groups along the northern coast worry the noise of offshore development could chase away bowhead whales and other subsistence foods. They, along with environmentalists, are concerned about the limited technology for cleaning up oil spills in icy water.
"Obviously we're disappointed," said Marilyn Heiman, the U.S. Arctic program director for the Pew Environment Group. "A spill could happen from an exploratory well just as easily as it could from a production well. They have not yet demonstrated they have the ability and the expertise to clean up an oil spill, especially in the darkness, the extreme weather and the icy conditions."
The Bush administration's five-year plan for oil and gas exploration off the U.S. coast is under review by the Obama administration. Salazar has held public hearings, including a meeting in April in Anchorage where then-Gov. Sarah Palin and her replacement, Sean Parnell, spoke in favor of offshore development. The agency is still considering whether to let the plan continue through 2012 or write a new one.
© 2009 McClatchy Newspapers
don't compete; coexist
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
"Our approval of Shell's plan is conditioned on close monitoring of Shell's activities to ensure that they are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today in a statement announcing his decision.
Bull-SHIT. There is no environmentally responsible manner if we're digging for oil, you ass!
BTW - I googled this story and it's not on mainstream news...I wonder WHY!!
I like the idea of drilling for our own oil anywhere in the US to lessen our
dependency on foreign oil, I also like the alternative power idea
but it will take many years before it's full 100% reality and really it may
never be a 100% reality.
we have built our industrial machine with and around oil for over
150 - 200 years and that wont change in the next 20+ years.
I want America back,owned and run by American's with very little
dependency on anything foreign.
Godfather.
that is a myth the oil companies will have you believe ... if oil a la corn was not as heavily subsidized as it is - you would not be drilling for oil ...
we only think we need this oil and at this stage the oil companies know that there window for exploiting tax payers will soon come to a close and they need to get as much as possible
and how long would it take for that oil to reach the market?? when they were debating drilling in ANWR the best estimates were it only had a few months of oil. i keep hearing there are no real alternatives but i bet if we gave the amount of money we give to the oil or coal or nuclear industry alone in subsidies we'd have some pretty quickly.
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
america cannot supply itself with all the oil it needs for 20 years, even if we let anyone drill anywhere anytime.
I don't mind being wrong if I have learned something and honestly I only know what I have read about oil
drilling and huge reserves of oil in parts of the country that "they" say are there with billions of barrel's
but time will tell.
Godfather.
the difference in this situation is that if i'm wrong, then when it's found out, you can just start drilling then. if you're wrong, once it's found out, it will be too late. you can't undo the drilling or take away the damage to the environment in the process. it's good to learn from mistakes, but it's also good to avoid making one in the first place because you rushed to a decision you didn't need to.
change, no wait...its the same plan....
yikes...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Palin Praises Obama Administration for Approving Oil Drilling Off Alaska Coast
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12 ... ska-coast/
shocking lol...drill baby drill...
obama has her approval, god forbid he might be doing something right in the eyes of the almighty gop.... :roll:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I'm curious if you could expound on this point you made a bit more. The corn subsidies is something I've been wondering about for a while now and whether or not they are actually beneficial. I used to think they were but I don't so much anymore.
not to speak for Polaris but my 2 cents are a diet so heavy with corn is really bad for you. we grow way too much and put it in way too many things.
we talk about the free markets but things like oil and gas aren't free. take oil and alternatives, lots of people say if there was a better alternative it would win in the free market but because of subsidies in the US gas is a lot cheaper than it would be and cheaper than Europe or Canada. so if oil were left to fend for itself on the free market would it still win with so many paying so much more for such a wasteful technology (the combustible engine wastes 70-80% of the fuel it uses)? if people weren't subsidized to grow corn would so much of it be grown? if anyone thinks that would hurt the average farmer why not subsidize something with more nutritional value? not to mention the big corporate farms get most of the subsidies
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
Yeah, I hear what you are saying and agree with it. What I'm still a bit confused on is if Polaris is saying all we need to do away with is the oil subsidies because if that is the case we would still have the corn subsidies and then ethanol would most likely take the place but we would still be reliant on oil. I could be wrong here but that just seems what would happen to me. If I'm reading what Polaris said a bit wrong and Polaris actually meant that we should do away with both subsidies than I agree over time we wouldn't be drilling for oil.
it was part of his 10 year plan for energy independence or whatever it was
just saying..... it is not like he told you he wasn't going to do it
One word... CHINA.
That is Reality.
Hail, Hail!!!