Originally published November 4 2005
House Resources Committee passes bill to drill for oil in wildlife refuge
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In the wake of recent hurricane disasters and oil shortages, the House passed the National Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act which allows companies to drill on National Wildlife Refuge land and in the water.
The House Resources Committee is using the Hurricane Katrina and Rita disasters to try to pass legislation that would open a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for oil.
The legislation, the National Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act, would also allow natural gas production in federal waters of the outer continental shelf --- another move that is likely to spark opposition from environmental organizations.
The National Corn Growers Association and other farm organizations hailed the bill's provisions opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and the Peterson-Abercrombie amendment that would permit drilling for natural gas on the outer continental shelf.
"It is unfortunate that it took two devastating hurricanes to bring such an important issue as increasing and diversifying our domestic resources of energy to the forefront," said NCGA President Leon Corzine.
The bill would authorize production on 2,000 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain and provide other incentives for energy sources, including alternative and geothermal resources.
Although it just passed the new National Energy Policy Act a few weeks ago, the Republican leadership removed a provision opening the ANWR to drilling because of Democratic opposition that threatened to stall the energy bill in Congress again.
"Policies encouraged by environmental extremists have prevented our country from using vast quantities of its natural gas, oil, and other resources," he said.
Prior to the committee's vote, Pombo noted crude oil prices are expected to rise 34 percent and natural gas costs are expected to rise 71 percent and that recent events have proven U.S. vulnerability to supply disruptions.
Farmers and related agribusinesses use natural gas for irrigation, crop drying, food processing, crop protection and nitrogen fertilizer production.
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