Bush lifts Alaska Oil Ban
Jeanwah
Posts: 6,363
Has anyone seen this?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_go_pr_wh/alaska_oil
Bush lifts Alaska oil, gas drilling ban
By H.JOSEF HEBERT Tue Jan 9, 2:15 PM ET
WASHINGTON - President Bush lifted the drilling ban Tuesday for Alaska's Bristol Bay, clearing the way for the Interior Department to open the fish-rich waters to oil and natural gas development.
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Alaska officials as well as local communities had asked for the ban to be lifted, but environmentalists have warned against drilling in the bay, which is also a major fishing area for salmon, crab and cod.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said one or two lease sales in about 5.6 million acres of Bristol Bay will be considered for leasing in the department's upcoming five-year 2007-12 lease plan.
Separately, Bush lifted a drilling moratorium in an area of the central Gulf of Mexico known as Lease Area 181, making that area available to drilling.
The Gulf waters acted upon by the president is a small part of a much larger 8.2 million acres that were approved for oil and gas development by Congress last month in one of its last acts before adjournment.
"There will be significant opportunities for study and public comment before any oil and gas development could take place in these areas," said Kempthorne.
The Bristol Bay waters were set aside for protection by Congress 1990, but the ban was lifted in 2003 at the request of Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, who argued that the area's oil and natural gas could be developed while still protecting the fisheries.
But a separate presidential drilling ban was not to expire until 2012.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_go_pr_wh/alaska_oil
Bush lifts Alaska oil, gas drilling ban
By H.JOSEF HEBERT Tue Jan 9, 2:15 PM ET
WASHINGTON - President Bush lifted the drilling ban Tuesday for Alaska's Bristol Bay, clearing the way for the Interior Department to open the fish-rich waters to oil and natural gas development.
ADVERTISEMENT
Alaska officials as well as local communities had asked for the ban to be lifted, but environmentalists have warned against drilling in the bay, which is also a major fishing area for salmon, crab and cod.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said one or two lease sales in about 5.6 million acres of Bristol Bay will be considered for leasing in the department's upcoming five-year 2007-12 lease plan.
Separately, Bush lifted a drilling moratorium in an area of the central Gulf of Mexico known as Lease Area 181, making that area available to drilling.
The Gulf waters acted upon by the president is a small part of a much larger 8.2 million acres that were approved for oil and gas development by Congress last month in one of its last acts before adjournment.
"There will be significant opportunities for study and public comment before any oil and gas development could take place in these areas," said Kempthorne.
The Bristol Bay waters were set aside for protection by Congress 1990, but the ban was lifted in 2003 at the request of Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, who argued that the area's oil and natural gas could be developed while still protecting the fisheries.
But a separate presidential drilling ban was not to expire until 2012.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
exactly! why not ruin that area for 6 months worth of usable oil (or less)that we'll sell to china, while giving tax dollars to the oil companies to do it? I mean, those oil companies are struggling lately.
seems logical to me.
i dont see anything...
hey - it's all about the jobs it'll create there ... nevermind that all those profits will leave that area and in a short decade - they'll have no fishing industry and nothing else left ...
POINTLESS.
If you think this will somehow lower oil prices you are a complete fool. Why is oil prices still on the rise now.... any alaska drilling fans know this one?
The economy has polarized to the point where the wealthiest 10% now own 85% of the nation’s wealth. Never before have the bottom 90% been so highly indebted, so dependent on the wealthy.
get us a much as you can, as fast as you can...while you are still hanging around.
I have heard that there is NOT a shortage of crude oil right now, but that there are not enough refining resources leading to high gasoline prices.
Makes me wonder if the oil companies purposely limit refining capacity to keep gasoline supply low and prices high.