An amendment offered by
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to keep oil drilling
out of the Arctic Refuge was narrowly defeated in the US Senate by a vote of
51 to 49 today.
“By a razor-thin margin,
the Senate has allowed a sneak attack on the Arctic by burying drilling language
in the federal budget,” said David Masur, PennEnvironment Director. “But
the battle is far from over. There is a long way to go before drilling rigs
roll into the Arctic Refuge, and we’ll be fighting every step of the way
to keep them out.”
Unfortunately, both Pennsylvania
senators voted against the pro-environmental amendment.
By assuming Arctic drilling revenues in the budget resolution, proponents of
drilling avoided a debate on the environmental and economic impacts of drilling
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Recent analyses have shown that Congressional
Budget Office revenue estimates from Arctic Refuge drilling, which assume oil
company bids of over $3,000 per acre on average do not match up with the reality
on the North Slope where leases have sold for only $50 per acre over the last
20 years. Such unlikely assumptions, coupled with recent indications of disinterest
from big oil companies, make Arctic drilling a risky gamble.
Masur pointed out that the
American people are overwhelmingly opposed to drilling in the Arctic Refuge.
A recent Zogby International poll found that a majority of American people favored
keeping drilling out of the Refuge, 55 percent to 38 percent.
“The American people
are overwhelmingly opposed to drilling in the Arctic Refuge,” said Masur.
“Senators Santorum and Specter have thrown in their lot with big oil rather
than middle class Pennsylvanians who want to protect their children's natural
heritage. While we are disappointed that our senators accepted this backdoor
maneuver, we are confident that that the US Congress will ultimately listen
to the American public and protect this national treasure.”
