Inuit Indians: Drill in ANWR!

wow · #1 (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 10:40 AM

Native Alaskan Indians support drilling in ANWR, as do most Americans in the lower 48.

Democrats in Congress are blocking drilling in ANWR against the American people's demands and the demands of Native Americans living in ANWR.
See below.

YouTube - An Alaskan Makes the Case for the Exploration of ANWR

mulp · #2 (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wow

Native Alaskan Indians support drilling in ANWR, as do most Americans in the lower 48.

Democrats in Congress are blocking drilling in ANWR against the American people's demands and the demands of Native Americans living in ANWR.
See below.

YouTube - An Alaskan Makes the Case for the Exploration of ANWR

Hell, they can't get Exxon to drill in the Thomson Point leases that Exxon has had for three decades. And it turns out this is typical:

Quote:

Legislation to Force Big Oil to Use Owned Leases Introduced Today
Thursday, June 12, 2008

To: Reporters

From: Democratic Caucus Communications Office

Re: Legislation to Force Big Oil to Use Owned Leases Introduced Today

Earlier today, Reps. Emanuel, Hinchey, Markey, Rahall, Welch and Yarmuth held a press conference to discuss legislation that will compel oil companies to utilize the 68 million acres onshore and offshore that are being leased by big oil companies, but not used to produce energy. Two pieces of legislation to achieve this goal were introduced today: the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act and The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008.

The Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act would assess a fee on land energy companies have leased but are not using for production. This fee will escalate if leases go unused over the course of several years. A dear colleague letter regarding this bill is included below.

The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008 will bar oil and gas companies from obtaining any more leases unless they can demonstrate that they are producing oil and gas, or are diligently developing the leases they already hold. A second dear colleague letter regarding this bill is also included below.

Tell Big Oil to Produce or Pay

Co-sponsor the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act

Current Cosponsors: Markey, Emanuel, Rahall, Hinchey, Chandler, Moran (VA), Shea-Porter, Welch, Yarmuth

June 12, 2008

Dear Colleague:

Today, we will introduce the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act. At a time when our constituents are paying $4 per gallon at the pump, the answer is to make sure that oil companies are producing on the land they currently own. They need to either use it or lose it.

Our legislation will help lower gas prices by compelling oil companies to begin producing oil and gas on the roughly 68 million acres of public land they currently hold but are not using. This legislation will also invest in programs to develop renewable energy technologies to reduce our overall dependence on oil and help low-income consumers.

Oil companies are not producing oil or gas on the vast majority of federal land onshore and offshore already under their control. Offshore, Big Oil is producing on only about 23 percent of the land they hold, while onshore, companies are producing on roughly 27 percent of the acres to which they hold the drilling rights.

The Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act will assess an escalating fee on land that oil companies have leased but are not using for production. This fee would be a mere $5 per acre for the first 3 years that a lease is not producing, but increase to $25 per acre in the fourth year and $50 per acre in subsequent years, providing a strong incentive for oil companies to stop stockpiling these leases and begin using them. The revenue raised from these fees will go towards renewable energy and energy efficiency investments that will reduce our dependence on oil, as well as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

For more information or to sign-on as an original cosponsor, please contact Morgan Gray (Markey) at 5-4012 or morgan.gray@mail.house.gov, Jonathan Levy (Emanuel) at 5-4061 or jonathan.levy@mail.house.gov, Steve Feldgus (Rahall) at 5-9297, or Anne Georges (Hinchey) at 5-6335 or anne.georges@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
Member of Congress

Rahm Emanuel
Member of Congress

Nick J. Rahall, II
Member of Congress

Maurice D. Hinchey
Member of Congress

Co-Sponsor H. R. 6251: The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008

June 12, 2008

Message to Big Oil: Use It Or Lose It!

Dear Colleague,

Companies could nearly double U.S. oil production from public lands and cut oil imports by one-third if they started drilling and stop stockpiling leases to pad their profits. Today, companies possess nearly 10,000 permits to drill that they choose not to use to increase domestic production.

That is why we introduced legislation to compel companies to start producing the oil and gas Americans need. H.R. 6251, “The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act” would force oil and gas companies to either produce or give up federal onshore and offshore leases. Companies would be banned from obtaining any more leases unless they can demonstrate that they are producing oil and gas, or are diligently developing the leases they already hold. Similar--and effective--rules already apply to coal companies.

Join us in putting the spurs to the people who are in the business of getting us oil and gas—tell them to stop holding oil hostage, to stop speculating on energy prices, and start helping Americans fill their tanks. Join us in co-sponsoring H.R. 6251, “The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act”.

For more information, or to co-sponsor, please contact Committee on Natural Resources staff, Steve Feldgus (steve.feldgus@mail.house.gov) at 225-9297.

Sincerely,

Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II
Rep. Rahm Emanuel
Rep. Edward J. Markey
Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey
Rep. John A. Yarmuth
Members of Congress

Democratic Caucus -- 202 A Cannon House Office Building; Washington, DC 20515. Phone: 202-225-1400.