Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Part 1

For over a year now, the debate about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has raged across the country. Industrialists, oil companies and politicians have argued that the potential oil and gas deposits located within the refuge will lessen our dependence on foreign oil and provide relief from energy shortages. Environmentalists have argued that allowing the exploration and drilling in ANWR will disturb the last natural ecosystem in the United States and endanger many of the animals that live there. President George W. Bush pledged during his campaign to open the 1.5 million acres of the ANWR 1002 area to drilling rights. At a recent stop in Wisconsin over the Labor Day holiday he stated “We need to find energy in an environmentally friendly way,” and he continues to lobby congress to open up the refuge to drilling. The US House recently passed an energy bill that would allow 2000 acres of ANWR to be opened to drilling, however it is likely that the US Senate will defeat this bill when they take up the debate.

So which side is right? Should we drill for the oil, or leave the wilderness to the caribou and polar bears? I have spent a lot of time examining both sides of this debate. Both sides make relevant and factual claims. However, from my perspective, both sides have also engaged in a far-reaching media campaign hoping to frighten the public to support one side over the other. Most of the public is unaware of the facts, which tend to get glossed over by both sides or highly exaggerated while they make their points.

In the next few articles I want to cover, in as balanced a way as possible, both sides of this volatile issue. I will not attempt to sway you toward either side of the issue, but rather present the facts that I have been able to uncover. This first article will focus entirely on the recent assessment of ANWR by the United States Geological Survey. My follow-up articles will look at the two sides of the issue and explore the facts and reasons put forward by both camps as to why drilling should or should not be allowed to happen.

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act established ANWR in 1980. This act of congress set aside 19.6 million acres of land in northeast Alaska (a land area roughly the size of South Carolina). The Act also authorized the study for oil and gas potential in a 1.5 million acre area of the refuge, known as the 1002 Area. This part of the act gave Congress the right to allow exploration and drilling for oil and gas at a later date. In the mid 1980’s, a consortium of oil companies made some preliminary seismic studies of the 1002 Area. Oil company geologists and government (both state and federal) scientists have made surface explorations throughout the area. In 1987, the USGS made a preliminary survey of the oil potential in ANWR.

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