[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 183 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7149-S7150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Energy

  Mr. President, I just want to come down to the floor and say a few 
words about a debate that has been going on in the Congress right now, 
and that involves the importance of more energy for the United States.
  We had a hearing last week on the possibility of opening a very small 
portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge called the 1002 area--
you see it here in the picture--which would be a win-win-win for the 
United States. It would help create jobs, it would grow the economy, it 
would increase energy security, and it would also help protect the 
global environment and strengthen our Nation's national security. These 
are the two issues I want to touch on this afternoon.
  We have the highest environmental standards regarding responsible 
resource development anyplace in the world. I was actually in charge of 
these standards as Alaska's commissioner of the Department of Natural 
Resources. I could tell you, whether it was no impact exploration--what 
we call that in Alaska--or specific requirements relating to our 
incredible species, like polar bear or caribou or mandating the best 
available technology, we have an over 50-year record of responsible 
resource development in our State.
  Let me just give you one example, what we call no impact exploration. 
On the North Slope of Alaska, we only allow for exploration activities 
during the winter months. So what does that mean? Companies actually 
create ice roads and ice pads, where they drive along the tundra with 
equipment and

[[Page S7150]]

with drill rigs to go explore all on ice. They do that for about 4 
months during the winter, then they leave. When the spring comes, there 
is literally zero impact on the tundra--zero impact.
  Yet some of my colleagues, particularly my colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle, have been coming down here for weeks talking about 
issues with regard to Alaska and the environment and energy. With all 
due respect, they are using talking points that are about 40 years old.
  When we had the hearing recently, the ranking member of the ENR 
Committee said nothing has changed. Well, everything has changed--the 
technology, the high standards. The only thing that has not changed are 
some of the talking points the other side has been using for the last 
40 years.
  Let me just give you one example. On the bill the Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee recently put up with regard to exploration in the 
1002 area--this is all of ANWR, I believe about the size of Wyoming. 
This is the wilderness area of ANWR. This is the 1002 area, the coastal 
area of ANWR that was set aside by Congress to look at the possibility 
of exploring a very resource-rich area of the country. This red dot--
you can barely see it--is a surface area of 2,000 acres--2,000 acres. 
That is what the bill would say. It would limit development of this 
area to 2,000 acres.
  For a little perspective, Dulles airport is 12,000 acres. This would 
be about 10 percent of Dulles airport. That is it. That is the surface 
footprint. Yet my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been 
coming out and talking about millions and millions of acres, so it is 
important that we push back.
  Here is the big issue for those in Congress who want to continually 
shut down resource development in Alaska that they never acknowledge: 
When you disallow investment in Alaska, which has the highest standards 
in the world on the environment, you don't end up protecting the 
environment. You just drive capital investment, exploration, and 
development activities to jurisdictions in the world with little to no 
environmental protection--countries like Nigeria, Venezuela, Iran, 
Russia, many of which are our geopolitical foes.
  In conclusion, what we are looking to do on the Senate floor with 
regard to producing more energy for this country is going to help with 
regard to jobs, it is going to help with regard to energy security, it 
is going to help with regard to national security, and, yes, it is 
going to help with regard to protecting the global environment because 
we have the highest standards in the world, and we do it right in 
Alaska.
  If we are not doing it here, there will be activities in other 
countries, other jurisdictions where they don't care about the 
environment the way we do. So we need to move forward on this important 
element of the energy and natural resource bill that was introduced 
today in the committee. I encourage all of my colleagues to support 
that bill.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I was listening carefully to the 
remarks of my friend from Alaska, and I am very much supportive of the 
effort to open up this small footprint in the Alaskan wilderness. It 
struck me that my friend from Alaska is right on point when he said the 
only talking points that haven't changed are the ones on the other side 
from 40 years ago. The advances in technology are truly impressive, and 
the opportunity not only for Alaska but for America to realize these 
natural resources is something very important to the country. I thank 
my friend for pointing that out.

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