[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARCTIC REFUGE WILDERNESS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 2001

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, although nearly 95 percent of Alaska's 
North Slope is available for drilling, international petroleum 
companies are still pushing Congress to open the Coastal Plain of the 
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas exploration and 
development.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues Representative Markey and 
Representative Nancy Johnson as we continue efforts to permanently 
protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
  My constituents in Rochester, New York are hurting due to the high 
energy prices.
  But opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas 
development is not the answer.
  Forget for the moment that this area is the heart of a refuge which 
serves as critical breeding or migratory habitat for over 200 species 
of animals and more than 180 bird species and that exploration could 
cause significant environmental damage.
  I would like to remind my colleagues that studies by the U.S. 
Geological Survey and the General Accounting Office have concluded 
there is probably far less oil in the Arctic Refuge than previously 
believed.
  And if we allowed drilling for oil in the Alaskan wildlife refuge, it 
would not produce any oil for an estimated 10 years.
  Even then, it would not significantly reduce our nation's dependence 
on foreign oil.
  During full operating capacity, ANVRR would supply only about 2 
percent of America's oil demand in a given year.
  Finally, none of the North Slope oil reaches the East Coast because 
it is too far to transport.
  Therefore, development in ANWR would not have any measurable impact 
on home heating oil shortages or prices in the Northeast.
  The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 
in Golden, Colorado claims that 100% of U.S. electricity needs could be 
met by installing just 17 square miles of rooftop solar panels in each 
state. The possibilities are endless if we devote the necessary 
resources and expertise to meeting our domestic energy demand.

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