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| Wilson and Sununu establish conservation funds and limit ANWR Footprint |
August 02, 2001 |
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| ‘Victory for American consumers and for the environment’
Washington, DC -The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday evening passed two key amendments to the House energy bill that will create new federal accounts to fund renewable technology and conservation initiatives, and sharply limit acreage available for energy production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge`s Coastal Plain to 2,000 acres.
Following consideration of the amendments authored and pushed by U.S. Representatives Heather Wilson (R-NM) and John E. Sununu (R-NH), the House continued to debate other amendments to the Securing America`s Future (SAFE) Act. The final energy package was scheduled for a vote late in the evening.
"I believe that we can meet America`s energy needs in a way that preserves the beauty of the home we love," said Wilson. "We`ve made tremendous progress in the last twenty years cleaning up the air, water, and land and there`s no turning back. What we accomplished today means that out of the more than 19 million acres contained in ANWR, only 2,000 acres can be disturbed. This dramatically limits any impact on the environment. These amendments will ensure that we invest in our future by protecting our federal lands and by continuing and expanding research into renewable energy sources. This is a victory for American consumers and for the environment."
"As Congress works to enact America`s first national energy policy in 30 years, we need to ensure that the right balance is struck between investing in energy supplies, developing new energy technology, and protecting state and federal lands," said Sununu, Vice Chairman of the House Budget Committee and member of the House Appropriations Committee. "In the end, there is no easy solution to formulating comprehensive energy policy. If there were, the previous administration would have implemented a plan. Ultimately, we must craft a balanced energy policy and our amendments help achieve this goal."
The first amendment, which passed by a vote of 241-186, would:
* Earmark 50 percent of any new royalties secured from oil and gas leasing operations on the Coastal Plain to the State of Alaska and 50 percent to the United States Treasury under the Renewable Energy Technology Investment Fund and the Royalties Conservation Fund.
The second amendment, which passed the House by a vote of 228-201, would:
* Ensure that the maximum amount of surface acreage covered by production and support facilities, including airstrips and any areas covered by gravel berms or piers for support of pipelines, does not exceed 2,000 acres (approximately three square miles) on the Coastal Plain.
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