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“With this positive step, Americans have hope for vast

supplies of clean synthetic oil and natural gas to fuel our homes and

businesses for decades.  If American innovation succeeds with the

technology to develop this resource,it could supply ’s oil

needs for more than a century.” – Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Washington, D.C. – The following is U.S. Rep. Don Young’s (R-Alaska) statement regarding today’s action by the Department of the Interior to publish final regulations to establish a commercial oil shale program that could result in the production of 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from federal lands in the Western United States.

Young is the Ranking Member on the Natural Resources Committee which has jurisdiction over energy production on federal lands.

“The Department of the Interior is to be commended for finally legalizing oil shale leasing on government lands.

“’s oil shale offers a huge potential benefit for domestic energy production.  Oil Shale could provide at least three times as much oil as owns. 

“It’s unfortunate that moving forward with the huge energy potential was delayed one year by some in Congress who slipped a rider in an appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008.  Now that this rider expired on October 1^st, the Interior Department has taken an important step toward addressing our national energy crisis.

“With this positive step, Americans have hope for vast supplies of clean synthetic oil and natural gas to fuel our homes and businesses for decades.  If American innovation succeeds with the technology to develop this resource, it could supply ’s oil needs for more than a century.

“And unlike so many of the current energy proposals, this won’t cost American taxpayers a dime.  It would generate huge amounts of revenue for the federal government and create thousands new jobs in the private sector.”