The American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act was introduced in the House by Representative Don Young from Alaska on January 6, 2009. It is referenced as H.R. 49 of the 111th Congress. The gist of the bill is to designate 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain in Alaska for the “exploration, development, and production” (H.R. 49 Summary) of oil and gas. The bill amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 and “repeals the prohibition against leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)” (H.R. 49 Summary).
The bill is designed to be environmentally sound and outline all procedures, and terms and conditions for the directional drilling, such as: “(1) environmental protection; (2) federal and state distribution of revenues; (3) rights-of-way; and (4) local government impact aid and community service assistance” (H.R. 49 Summary). The bill also outlines requirements such as: “(1) a "no significant adverse effect" standard to govern Coastal Plain activities; and (2) guidelines for expedited judicial review of complaints” (H.R. 49 Summary).
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Through the presidential campaigns, there was a lot of mention of Alaska and natural resources we can utilize in the state. I would be interested to see what occurs from this act and if it is truly possible to be environmentally sound when exploring, developing, and producing natural resources. I also think it's interesting how the Act has integrated requirements for judicial review of complaints. This seems like a positive sign that the government is willing to work with the residents of the State of Alaska and address their concerns.
ReplyDeleteInteresting bill given the political controversy surrounding oil drilling in Alaska. I'm sure there will be a lot of debate surrounding this bill. It will be interesting to see what environmental groups say. I'm with Patty, I wonder if its even possible to drill in Alaska in an environmental responsible way, or if this is another drill baby drill tactic. I don't think I know enough about oil drilling to be able to answer that!
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