Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Legislature Pushes For Renewed Development of National Petroleum Reserve

For Immediate Release: February 26, 1997 Contact: Rep. Joe Green (907) 465-4931

JUNEAU - A legislative resolution urging the Secretary of the Interior to resume an oil and gas leasing program in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) passed the Alaska State Senate Wednesday. It had earlier passed the House, also by a unanimous vote.

HJR 12, sponsored by Representative Joe Green, calls for Congress to immediately resume leasing in the NPRA.

Green said renewed development in the NPRA is in the state's best interest for three primary reasons:

1. The economic activity associated with oil and gas leasing, exploration, and production benefits Alaskans;
2. oil produced in the NPRA would be transported through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, helping to keep the pipeline open, and potentially enhancing the commercial viability of existing and future oil development projects on the North Slope;
3. the State of Alaska will receive 50% of the revenues from oil and gas production.

"The federal government should resume lease sales and encourage the industry to explore for oil and gas in the NPRA," said Green. "I think its important that the Alaska Legislature is sending a unified message to the Secretary that we want to see some activity in an area that's reserved for oil and gas development."

"We have demonstrated that development can be done in an environmentally safe manner on the North Slope," said Green. The principles developed in Prudhoe to protect the environment will apply to exploration and development in NPRA and ANWR."

"The Speaker and I are going to take this resolution back to Washington tomorrow and present it to the congressional delegation so they know that we're 100% behind their efforts to jump-start the leasing program in the oil reserve." said Green.

Broadcast Note: An audio actuality is available by calling 1-800-478-6540.

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