Oil Drilling in Alaska, Good Energy Policy or Bad Environmental Plan?

Oil drilling in Alaska, good energy policy or bad environmental plan?

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska has been the subject of heated debate. Members of Congress are trying to open a section of land to oil exploration and development. When eight million acres of ANWR were set aside as wilderness, 1.5 million acres were designated for review by the DOI to recommend future management of high potential oil resources. In 1987, the DOI recommended that this 1.5 million acres, known as the coastal plain, be leased for oil and gas exploration and production. Only a tiny fraction, far less than one percent, of the coastal plain area would be affected. Advancing technologThe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska has been the subject of heated debate. Members of Congress are trying to open a section of land to oil exploration and development. When eight million acres of ANWR were set aside as wilderness, 1.5 million acres were designated for review by the DOI to recommend future management of high potential oil resources. In 1987, the DOI recommended that this 1.5 million acres, known as the coastal plain, be leased for oil and gas exploration and production. Only a tiny fraction, far less than one percent, of the coastal plain area would be affected. Advancing technology over the last 20 years has reduced the necessary size or footprint of drilling operations, so oil exploration would only affect about 2,000 acres, or about .01 percent of the total area