[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF BILL ON OIL LEASE SALE IN THE CHUKCHI SEA

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                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 2008

  Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, the Interior Department is currently 
considering whether to list the polar bear under the Endangered Species 
Act as a result of the impacts of global warming. While this decision 
has been nearly 3 years in the making, the Fish and Wildlife Service 
has now missed deadline after deadline for finalizing a decision on the 
future of the polar bear. On January 9, the Interior Department missed 
its statutorily required deadline for a decision, as required under the 
Act. Then, 1 month later, it missed its self-imposed deadline. Now, the 
decision on listing the polar bear, and the survival of this iconic 
species, is hanging in limbo.
  Meanwhile, Secretary Kempthorne decided to move forward with an oil 
and gas lease sale in 30 million acres of sensitive polar bear habitat 
in Alaska's Chukchi Sea last month rather than wait until after a 
decision on the polar bear had been made.
  The bulk of this legislation that I am introducing today is identical 
to H.R. 5058, which already has wide support from Members of the House. 
H.R. 5058 would have required the Interior Department to delay the oil 
lease sale in the Chukchi Sea until it had made a decision on listing 
the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. The legislation that I 
am introducing today would delay the next steps in the oil leasing 
process until after the Interior Department makes decisions on the 
polar bear and on establishing the bear's ``critical habitat.'' This 
legislation would not prevent the next steps in the oil drilling 
process from ever occurring, but rather simply ensure that the 
Department first decides how to protect the polar bear.
  It is disappointing that Secretary Kempthorne chose not to delay the 
lease sale until after the polar bear listing decision had been made. 
The legislation that I am introducing today would restore common sense 
to this regulatory lunacy by ensuring that we figure out how to protect 
the polar bear before taking any additional steps towards allowing oil 
drilling in key polar bear habitat. Secretary Kempthorne and his agency 
must not move any farther down the path they are taking of drill first 
and ask questions later--a well-worn path in this administration. If 
this administration refuses to stop the oil drilling process until 
after it figures out how to protect the polar bear from global warming, 
then the Congress must step in to protect the polar bear and the 
taxpayers.




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