Posted on 02/17/2012 9:11:04 AM PST by thackney
For the 12th time, U.S. Rep. Don Young has gotten legislation passed out of the House of Representatives to authorize opening of a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to resource development.
By a 237 to 187 vote, the House today sent H.R. 3408 to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future. Opening ANWR has only made it out of the Senate once, and was vetoed by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
“This is a great piece of legislation for the American people,” said Young in a statement released by his office. “Tapping into ANWR’s enormous energy potential could provide up to 1.5 million barrels a day for years to come. America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and this bill will finally let us develop those resources for the good of our people.
“This is my 12th time passing ANWR out of the House and although this is a momentous day, there is still work to be done. The Senate should not drag its feet on this bill. The American people are sick and tired of high energy prices, high unemployment, and out of control deficits - they want cheap energy created here in America and that is exactly what this bill will do.”
Among the provisions in the bill noted by Young’s office.
• ANWR – The bill would open roughly 3 percent of ANWR to energy development and direct the Department of Interior to execute lease sales.
• Offshore Development – The bill would open portions of the Alaska, Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts to offshore drilling and require the Interior Department to execute lease sales. Additionally, this bill would provide coastal states with 37.5% of revenues generated from all new offshore development.
• Oil Shale – The bill would require oil shale leases to be issued by the Interior Department as well as promote shale technology research and development. The bill would make permanent the Resource Management Plan regulations published by the Interior Department in November 2008.
See video of Young sharing a poem about opening ANWR from the House floor on Wednesday here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1vxSJkxCA
House OKs bill opening ANWR to oil drilling
http://www.adn.com/2012/02/16/2321743/house-passes-plan-that-would-allow.html#storylink=cpy
excerpted:
I think I’ve got the votes in the Energy Committee on ANWR,” said Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
But that “doesn’t get it to the floor,” Murkowski said, adding that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “is bound and determined that he is not going to pass the measure.”
It’s essential for Alaskans to educate members of Congress on ANWR, especially new ones who haven’t yet become entrenched, both Murkowski and Begich said. Long-timers aren’t eager to restart the old battle.
“When you say the word ‘ANWR,’ there are some members who literally get hives,” Begich said.
Backers of drilling stress that only a portion of the refuge would be developed — the bill requires the Interior Department to put up at least 200,000 acres for lease and no less than another 200,000 if there’s interest by industry, totally roughly 3 percent of the refuge. And some development could be done with extended horizontal drilling from state lands, a proposal in a different bill sponsored by Murkowski and co-sponsored by Begich.
This will die a quick death once it makes it to the senate. If it makes it to the White House, guess who will kill it, along with America.
The US Senate, where bills go to die.
Uncertain only in the sense that we don't know whether Dingy Harry will refuse to allow it to be put to a vote or whether he will assign it to some subcommittee for study that will stretch beyond the end of the session.
RE: House approves opening ANWR — again
And the Harry Reid Senate shelves it — AGAIN.
Thanks very much Nevada for sending him back instead of Sharron Angle.
haha. They are looking for ways to save their asses from being defeated in November. I’m afraid it’s too late.
The obscene thing is that the federal government OWNS any land in the States at all..
We can thank The republican Roosevelt(Teddy) for that one..
But then BOTH Roosevelt PRESIDENTS were Progressives... and many republicans still are..
I like its original name better: Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 4
How many barrels of oil a day do we go through?
With almost a million from shale oil, a million from ANWR and a couple of hundred thousand from other sources in the US, sound to me like we can become oil independent very quickly.
(the graphic needs updating....I paid $3.96 for regular yesterday)
About 16.7 million barrels per day. Total petroleum usuage is 18.8 MMBPD but the balance is natural gas liquids.
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_psup_dc_nus_mbblpd_m.htm
With almost a million from shale oil, a million from ANWR and a couple of hundred thousand from other sources in the US, sound to me like we can become oil independent very quickly.
We import about 9 MMBPD but that has been declining. Not all sources need to be replaced but +4 MMBPD from OPEC would be great to eliminate.
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epc0_im0_mbblpd_m.htm
We need more refineries for all the Oil we can produce. The EPA and it’s regulations are closing them down and not a new refinery has been built for thirty years or more.
LOOK! IN THE WATER! IT’S POLAR BEAR! IT’S DROWNING! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
We could replace 100% of our imported oil with domestic production and still not reach the capacities of our existing refineries.
We do NOT have a refinery shortage. Even running at the 85~90% capacity, we are exceeding all of our usage.
Any refinery capacity added today would either be idle, or used for export. We don't use what we have already.
not a new refinery has been built for thirty years or more.
But we have expanded the heck out of the existing ones. That is why our capacity has grown in spite of closing some older, less efficient refineries.
It is far more cost effective to expand an existing refinery where utilities like hydrogen production, steam, electrical power can be shared and make use of the existing connecting pipelines.
So when 1/3 of the refineries in the Northeast have been shut down and the refinery in Philadelphia is shut down this July and the refining capacity in the Northeast is then down to a total of 50% of what it had been capable of, there is no Problem with refining?
Most of the Northeast refineries shutdowns ultimate come down to an anti-business atmosphere compared to Gulf Coast and other areas. Right to work states limit the impact of unions.
Lots of other types of manufacturing has left the Northeast, refining is just following the same path.
But the US has more refining capacity than we use. We are currently a net refined products exporter.
Just as New York State has to get much natural gas and electricity from outside it borders because of it regulations, the South and others will delivery gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and heating oil to those NIMBYs and environmentalists. We are actually thankful for the jobs and associated revenue.
The last two data points are Oct. Nov. 2011. Deliveries of refined gas are at an all time low, which would allow fuel for your argument of 85-90% capacity being OK! People can't afford the fuel so we have cut our usage. Lower the price of fuel and consumption will rise and our economy will recover. Will our current Refinery capacity be able to keep up?
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