[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3069-S3070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           REAL STIMULUS ACT

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I have cosponsored Senator Vitter's 
legislation, The REAL, Resources from Energy for America's Liberty, 
Stimulus Act of 2009. It is crucial that this Nation realize the need 
to develop our oil and natural gas resources from the Outer Continental 
Shelf and ANWR, enact the kind of responsible streamlining of 
government to not hinder that development, and provide important 
regulatory relief.
  I have consistently highlighted the amounts of U.S. reserves, and I 
think it is important to continue to point out the amount of reserves 
in the United States. The OCS holds 14 billion barrels

[[Page S3070]]

of oil and 55 trillion cubic feet of gas, which is equivalent to 25 
years worth of imports from Saudi Arabia. ANWR holds 10 billion barrels 
or 15 years worth of imports from Saudi Arabia. Today we would have 1 
million additional barrels of oil a day coming from ANWR had President 
Clinton not vetoed legislation in 1995 to authorize that production. 
Production from ANWR is entirely responsible. Compared to the size of 
Alaska, ANWR's 19 million acres is about the same size of South 
Carolina, and of that area, we propose opening about 1.5 million acres 
to exploration which is roughly 6 percent of ANWR. Of those 1.5 million 
acres, only 2,000--an area the size of Washington's Dulles 
International Airport--would be devoted to drilling. This is only one 
example of new production which can occur in an environmentally 
exacting manner.
  The legislation also includes important regulatory reforms which 
outside the energy production components of this bill would be referred 
to the Environment and Public Works Committee for consideration. Some 
of the EPW related provisions include streamlining environmental 
considerations in the leasing of the OCS and ANWR and streamlining 
reviews for new nuclear power plant licensing. The bill includes 
language meant to ensure that Federal projects and actions are not 
needlessly delayed, and therefore made more costly, by required 
environmental reviews. Too often the NEPA mandated environmental review 
process is used as the means to slow or stop projects, not based on 
substantive environmental grounds but, rather, simply because selected 
individuals oppose the projects. We need to reduce the ability of these 
not-in-my-backyard interests to continue to manipulate Federal law this 
way. Too many jobs and economic resources are at stake.
  The bill importantly excludes greenhouse gases from the definition of 
pollutant and prohibits the EPA Administrator from granting waivers to 
enforce their own tail pipe emission standards. Granting these States a 
waiver will only result in a patchwork of State regulations and 
compliance will vary greatly depending on product demand in each State. 
The U.S. auto industry, already on life support, faces a $47 billion 
burden this year due to increased national fuel economy standards, 
according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.
  Finally, the bill keeps activists from using the Endangered Species 
Act from hindering crucial energy exploration and production. 
Activists' efforts to list species and restrict human activities based 
on climate change are backdoor attempts to regulate greenhouse gas 
emissions under the Endangered Species Act. Directly linking species 
threats to climate change under ESA means that any increase in carbon 
dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions anywhere in the country could be 
subject to legal challenges due to arguments that those activities are 
harming any species that is in decline. It allows endless litigation on 
major activities that are funded, carried out, or authorized by the 
Federal Government. The economic impacts of regulating greenhouse gases 
under ESA are enormous. For example, any permit for a powerplant, 
refinery, or road project in the United States could be subject to 
litigation if it contributes to total carbon emissions. ESA prompted 
lawsuits and bureaucratic delays could even extend to past fossil fuel-
linked Federal projects if they could increase greenhouse gas emissions 
or reduce natural carbon dioxide uptake. The ESA is over 30 years old. 
Its only real success has been to provide full time employment for the 
radical activists and the trial bar. Most importantly, despite billions 
of Federal dollars spent, millions of acres of property rights 
restricted, and the years of red tape delays, barely 1 percent of 
listed species have actually recovered. If that is not justification to 
restructure an outdated, ineffective law, I don't know what is--there 
has to be a better way.
  I have long said America is not running out of oil and gas or running 
out of places to look for oil and gas. America is running out of places 
where we are allowed to look for oil and gas. The American public has 
got to demand that the Democrats in Congress allow us to produce from 
our own resources without unnecessary and burdensome Government 
regulation.

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