ANWR Drilling Foes Dispute Decision

http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2005/12/20/ap2405786.html

The proposal to drill for oil in an Alaska wildlife refuge will create the most environmentally friendly oil field in the world, Interior Secretary Gale Norton said Tuesday - a claim disputed by drilling opponents.

They said the legislation before Congress could allow oil companies to skirt some existing environmental safeguards while weakening the ability to challenge oil leases in court.

The standoff in the Senate over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska was expected to reach a climax Wednesday with a critical vote on whether the measure should be included in a massive defense spending bill.

The outcome could be determined by one or two votes.

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the bill "lets us address the environmental issues" and provides safeguards by requiring advanced technology. "We're not talking about opening the entire 1.5 million acres. ... We're asking for permission to explore and drill in an area not to exceed 2,000 acres," Murkowski said on the Senate floor.

They knew it wouldn't pass so they snuck it in with the defense approprations bill.

and threaten the Smithsonian again!!!!

Regarding the 2,000 acres claim...hmmm, how much actual floor space does my table occupy? Probably only a few square inches. But how much space does it practically occupy? Many square feet. This is the fallacy of Murkowski's argument. What shameless spinmeisters. Even the additional traffic on the Dalton Highway alone would be disastrous, not to mention all of the roads they'll construct in the Refuge. Simply shameless and disgusting. All for what? The equivalent of six months oil supply, most of which will probably be shipped overseas because it's too sulphorous. What a craven giveaway to the oil industry...