ANWR Drilling - A Quick Read

ANWR drilling is a sore subject. It’s constantly discussed and debated, particularly during elections. To understand the debate the overall issue of ANWR drilling, the impacts of drilling there must be understood.

ANWR is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s a little more than 19 million acres in the North Slope in Alaska. In 1960 the government named it a protected area and has added even more land since then. Part of the purpose for protecting the area is to protect the resources there.  That seems a bit odd since while protected the resources can’t be exploited. Why protect resources that can never be used?

ANWR drilling first became an issue when conservationists lost the battle to stop the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. They turned their attention to the wilderness areas in Alaska that were untouched by the pipeline. This happened in 1976. In 1980 President Jimmy Carter signed into law an act that created over 104 million acres of national parks in Alaska.  It allowed drilling in ANWR but only with congressional approval. Both pro and anti drilling people went into action. One wanted to remove the drilling possibility. The other wanted to cut down the amount of protected land.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recommended opening ANWR drilling in November of 1986. It proposed a trade of ANWR land for land owned by Eskimo tribes to accomplish this. But conservationists worried that caribou herds would be cut of from their birthing grounds. Canada and the US signed a treaty to give each nation a say in what was done in the area. That effectively ended any action on the 1986 recommendation.

There continues to be an argument over drilling in ANWR. Those for drilling point to the negative impact of US dependence on foreign oil. But dependence on foreign oil is often exaggerated as an issue, as the US gets most of its oil from stable areas in the world.

Those against ANWR drilling continue to point to environmental concerns. These are the same types of groups that block the use of salt to melt snow on Oregon roads in the winter.  The result is a drastic increase in the number of accidents and human lives lost.  But the plants around the roads can thrive in the salt free soil.

ANWR drilling will continue to be a major discussion. Even if drilling begins, people will try to stop it and the cycle will continue.