Congratulations to all the folks in this country who stood up for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge today. Environmentalists and Democrats have been fighting this battle for many years, and today was one of the closest wins we've had. The fight is not over, but as Dianne Fienstein said, "It is a real victory for the environmental movement all throughout this country."
I would urge everyone who had a senator voting to support the refuge, to email or call them and thank them. This was a big victory, but the GOP is already hatching a way to get what they want. As Joe Lieberman said, "It took a lot of guts for a lot of people to stand up."
For the record, the only Democrats voting against it were Akaka, Hawaii; Inouye, Hawaii; Landrieu, La.; Nelson, Neb. And supporting our side were GOP Sens. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island with the remaining Republicans voting against the refuge. Lieberman said the supporters "are intent and unyielding" and not expected to budge should Frist try for another vote.
Republican Pete Domenici of New Mexico will try again in the spring to attach Arctic Refuge drilling to a filibuster-proof bill, an aide said. Domenici said oil platforms already operate on Alaska's North Slope in an environmentally sensitive way. "They look like little outhouses," he said. "You won't be able to even see or locate what has transpired (with drilling equipment)."
Sen. Domenici is lying his pants off: Once part of the largest intact wilderness area in the United States, Alaska's North Slope now hosts one of the world's largest industrial complexes, spanning some 1,000 square miles of once-pristine Arctic tundra. Prudhoe Bay and 26 other oilfields include the following:
- 28 oil production plants, gas processing facilities, and seawater treatment and power plants
- 38 gravel mines
- 223 production and exploratory gravel drill pads
- 500 miles of roads
- 1,800 miles of pipelines
- 4,800 exploration and production wells
Each year, the oil industry spills tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil and other hazardous materials on the North Slope. In fact, every day there is on average at least one spill either in the oil fields or at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. From 1996 to 2004, there were some 4,530 spills of more than 1.9 million gallons of diesel fuel, oil, acid, biocide, ethylene glycol, drilling fluid and other materials. In the Arctic, the environmental damage from oil spills is more severe and lasts longer than in more temperate climates.
So remember what we were fighting for, and thank those who helped us fight the lies told by Secretary of Interior Norton and people like Senator Pete Domenici, who think we don't know what oil exploration can do to pristine wilderness.
Visit Congress.org if you're not sure how to reach your senators. And thanks again for all your efforts.