Alaska State Legislature

News From The Senate and House Majorities

House: Ken Freeman (907)465-3804
Senate: Wendy Lindskoog (907)465-4582
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540
http://www.akrepublicans.org

Alaska Legislators Discuss Alaska/National

Energy Issues in Washington D.C.

For Immediate Release -- March 5, 1997

Juneau -- Changes to EPA air quality regulations potentially affecting resource development industries in America's energy producing states was a top issue of discussion at the annual conference of the Energy Council held in Washington D.C.

"Changes in federal Clean Air regulations could impact every resource development industry in Alaska. What is also concerning is that the proposed regulations could potentially tighten air quality standards in Alaska's urban cities," said Phillips.

"We will be closely following this issue and provide input as these regulations are promulgated."

An Alaska delegation traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in The Energy Council’s annual Federal Energy and Environmental Matters Conference March 1-4, 1997. The Alaska Delegation included Senators Drue Pearce, Loren Leman and Dave Donley and Representatives Gail Phillips, Joe Green and Scott Ogan.

Senator Drue Pearce, Co-chair of the Alaska Senate Finance Committee and Vice Chair of The Energy Council’s Conference said the Energy Council’s annual meeting in D.C. provided a great opportunity to inform new and returning members of Congress on Alaska energy issues.

"The Alaska State Legislature moved quickly to pass both the ANWR and NPRA resolutions this session so we could hand-deliver the bi-partisan supported directives to our Congressional Delegation in Washington D.C.," said Pearce.

"Ironically, during our time in D.C., we discovered that Representative Bruce Vento (D-Minn) and Senator Bill Roth (R-Del) are introducing legislation to permanently protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as Wilderness," Pearce said. "This would further lock up our resources and ability to provide jobs for Alaskans now and in the future."

"While the Energy Council encourages input from all sides of controversial issues, the Council was surprised at Under Secretary of State Tim Wirth's dogmatic presentation for further tightening of environmental restrictions under the guise of global warming," said Green.

"When I questioned both his statistics and the adverse economic affect that would result from such unproven scare tactics, he became even more emphatic but not more convincing," said Green.

Senator Leman said the Alaska delegation learned about some of the innovative policies other states have adopted to promote environmental protection.

"Member states of the Energy Council have taken the lead in promoting 'environmental self-audit' programs, where the state offers incentives to companies to perform internal audits of their operations, to make sure they are fully complying with environmental law. I was encouraged by the success of these programs in other states, and came away even more committed to achieving passage of Senate Bill 41, which would implement such a program in Alaska," said Leman.

The Energy Council achieves its work primarily through four annual conferences and through extensive coalition-building efforts. The conferences include:

Member states of The Energy Council include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming -- accounting for over 80 percent of U.S. oil and gas production.

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