Ehrlich on Washington column, August 27, 2001

HEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of August 27, 2001 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. A Postcard from Alaska By the time you read this, I will have arrived home from a three-day trip to Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The political rhetoric surrounding America’s energy demands, and ANWR’s role in alleviating those demands, escalated significantly in recent weeks. My trip helped put to rest some of the ill-founded statements clouding this important debate. Many argue that President Bush’s plan to explore ANWR’s vast oil and gas supply is vital to meeting America’s growing energy needs. The skyrocketing gas prices that you and I paid at the pump this summer are a testament to that argument. Others argue that ANWR, as a wildlife refuge, should be off-limits to oil and gas companies. In light of this escalating debate, I decided to travel to ANWR, study the terrain that would be affected by energy exploration, and reach my own conclusions regarding how Congress should proceed. I am now more confident than ever that the President’s plan will help offset America’s energy needs while respecting - and protecting - Alaska’s environment. ANWR is a 19.5 million-acre swath of land, roughly the size of South Carolina, in northeastern Alaska. U.S. Geological surveys state that ANWR’s 1.5 million-acre coastline is one of the richest oil and gas reserves in North America. A handful of environmentalists, many of whom have not visited ANWR, adamantly oppose the exploration of oil and gas in this refuge. They believe that, by drilling in this “pristine wilderness,” we will jeopardize caribou populations and ruin a natural treasure. As a life-long native of the Chesapeake Bay area and member of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, I understand the importance of environmental conservation. After visiting ANWR, however, I believe energy exploration can proceed, with limits, without affecting the environment or wildlife.