View RDC's Comment Letter
Carl Portman's January 15, 2009 Testimony
Comment deadline was March 30, 2009
Overview:
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is seeking comments on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 209, 212, 217, and 221. Alaska’s offshore waters hold great potential for meeting the nation’s energy needs. In fact, the Chukchi Sea is considered the nation’s most prolific, unexplored offshore basin in North America. MMS has estimated that Alaska’s OCS contains 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. By comparison, total production from the North Slope since 1977 has been 15.5 billion barrels. Access to Alaska’s OCS resources will be a key element in the economic feasibility of the proposed natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to the Lower 48. Alaska OCS lease sales to date have generated over $3 billion in bonus payments to the U.S. Treasury.
For additional information, refer to MMS's hearing notice located at:
http://www.mms.gov/alaska/cproject/ArcticMultiSale_209/2008_1219_NOA.pdf
Action Requested:
RDC encourages its members to participate in the process by submitting comments. It is vital that MMS and the Obama administration hear from Alaskans that these lease sales are critical to Alaska and for the nation’s long-term energy security. MMS will count verbal and written comments for and against the proposed lease sales to assist the administration in deciding whether to hold the sales, determining lease terms/stipulations, and recommending whether portions of the sale area should be deferred or withdrawn.
The opposition will likely turn out in force to oppose the sales. They can be expected to generate heavy write-in and email campaigns. Their objective is to show the new administration and incoming Department of the Interior Secretary Salazar that "Alaskans and people throughout the nation do not support OCS drilling." Therefore, it is critical that those supporting the lease sales express their opinion.
Send written comments to:
Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Management Service
3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500
Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5820
Online: https://ocsconnect.mms.gov/pcs-public/
Click on “Quick Search” and type in: Sales 209, 212, 217, and 221.
Click on Project ID to see DEIS and to submit comments.
Points to consider for your comments:
- The Alaska OCS is an important future source of U.S. energy supply with an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas potentially in place. The Chukchi Sea is considered the most prospective unexplored offshore basin in the country.
- Responsible development of Alaska’s offshore energy resources would help meet future U.S. energy demand and offset declining production from mature basins in the U.S. and Canada. Moreover, Alaska OCS development would geographically diversify offshore domestic supplies beyond the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico.
- Any energy plan for the nation must include Alaska, which accounts for over 30 percent of the nation’s technically recoverable resources.
- MMS should maintain regular lease sales in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, as well as portions of the North Aleutian Basin. Oil and gas production can move forward in these areas in an environmentally-sensitive and responsible manner through a strong regulatory regime, state-of-the-art oil spill response, seasonal operating restrictions as needed, and mitigation measures to avoid conflicts with other resource users.
- Revenue sharing from the OCS with local communities should be enacted to help address local impacts.
- OCS production in Alaska would provide many benefits, including hundreds of new jobs in rural and urban areas, additional tax income to the state and local governments, new local sources of fuel and energy, and improved search and rescue operations.
- Subsistence whaling is vitally important, both economically and culturally to North Slope villages. Seasonal restrictions and/or deferrals of specific tracts in active whaling waters should be considered to avoid potential conflicts. Early consultation and conflict avoidance mechanisms should also be established.
- OCS development has an outstanding safety and environmental record spanning decades. Development has coexisted with other industries, including fishing, in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Cook Inlet.
- Given long lead times for development, which can exceed ten years, MMS must proceed expeditiously with key lease sales. Otherwise, production from new areas could be pushed back decades.
- Demand for energy is continuing to rise and reality will require continued development of America’s oil and gas resources as the nation transitions to the new energy sources of the future. While renewable energy will make up a growing part of the U.S. energy portfolio, they will not significantly reduce our reliance on foreign sources of oil in the near or mid-term.
- The health of our economy and our national security will require utilization of both conventional and unconventional energy sources. No single approach is enough as we cannot drill our way to energy independence, nor can we conserve our way.
- Given the impact of high energy prices on Americans and their economy, the U.S. has a moral obligation to development domestic energy sources, both onshore and offshore. These resources will buy us the time we need to develop alternative and renewable energy resources that will someday break our reliance on foreign oil.
Comment deadline was March 30, 2009
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