Sen. Ted Stevens, visiting the Kenai Peninsula for the
opening ceremonies of the Arctic Winter Games, outlined his
opposition to the Pebble Mine Project, vowed a continued fight
to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling
and urged state legislators to create a climate for investment
in Alaska during a press conference Sunday.
Stevens, who planned to return to Washington on Sunday
night after the opening ceremonies, took time to meet
reporters before a meeting with community members.
Gold mining was the first item on the agenda. The senator
announced his opposition last week to a plan by the Canadian
corporation Northern Dynasty Mines Ltd. to open southwest
Alaska’s Pebble Mine. His opposition is based on the region’s
other natural resource: salmon.
“That is a significant area for salmon production and the
salmon is already depleted,” Stevens said. “There’s no reason
to proceed with a mine of that size to be undertaken by people
that have never run a mine before.”
The approach used to promote the project also concerns the
senator. Northern Dynasty hired lobbyists before the
permitting process has begun.
“I find that a bit strange, frankly. Normally, a mining
operator would be in a position to try and get the facts and
develop the basic approach to a project like this, but they
seem to be very interested in getting people to represent them
and promote this to various government agencies that don’t
have anything to do with permitting.”
While Stevens had no specific commentary related to Gov.
Frank Murkowski’s proposed increase in the oil revenue tax on
producers — which would put the tax at 20 percent based on
current prices — he did have some general statements about the
tax’s role in Alaska’s energy future. Alaska has many energy
resources to develop, he said, and a investment-friendly
climate is important.
“We need investment for the (natural gas) pipeline, we need
investment for the Outer Continental Shelf, we need investment
for (North Slope) gas hydrates, we need investment for the
timber, to turn it into ethanol,” he said. “We are
investment-poor. If we put in some tax policies that indicate
we are antagonistic to investment and we do not understand
that the more investment there is here, the greater return
we’ll have for our children, we’re liable to deprive our
children of the opportunity they should have.”
Stevens will address the Alaska Legislature on March 21.
“I think the Legislature is doing it right to examine it
very carefully,” he said.
Agrium’s Blue Sky Project, which would use coal Beluga Coal
Fields to produce natural gas to run its Nikiski ammonia and
urea operations, was another idea Stevens supports. Alaska, he
said, has “the greatest energy future of any area in the
world,” if investment is found for such projects.
He hopes the rest of the country will come to understand
that, specifically in regard to ANWR, he said.
“I am optimistic we will once again get it before the
Congress, but what happens depends upon people in the United
States waking up to the fact that this is a resource we could
be producing now. There’s no question that we need that oil,
and there’s capacity in that pipeline to carry it to market.”
Stevens also addressed the budget cuts slated for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) over
the next two years. The cuts would affect 13 Alaska projects
relating to tsunami warnings, wildlife protection and
monitoring, climate change research, fisheries management and
several other areas.
Stevens said some of the cuts, like a budget maneuver that
shifted Alaska project funds to a research center in Seattle,
are being reworked with NOAA’s help. The Seattle center, NOAA
has indicated, got Alaska funds by mistake.
“We believe a sizable number of those will actually be
funded in the budget and I won’t be faced with earmarks for
all those things for Alaska.”
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