New Environmental Analysis Shows It Can Be Done Safely

Last week, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a Draft Supplemental Environmental Statement (SEIS) for Chukchi Offshore Oil & Gas Lease Sale 193, north of Alaska. The new draft, which will be open for public comment through December 22, 2014, re-evaluates the potential environmental impact of oil & gas development in the resource-abundant waters north of Alaska.

Since 2008, the lease sale has gone through multiple rounds of time-consuming litigation, with anti-energy groups utilizing every procedural tactic in the book to delay energy development and curtail America’s ability to become energy self-sufficient and more secure. However, time and again the Obama Administration has reaffirmed the safety of Arctic exploration.

Commenting on the release, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) President David Holt said:

“Now is the time to move forward with Arctic exploration programs. We’ve done the due diligence to study the possible impacts of exploration, and the federal government has maintained that through smart application of technology and science, we can develop our Arctic resources safely. Doing so will boost our long-term energy security, ensure American consumers have a stable source of energy well into the future, and help create much-needed jobs throughout the U.S. in manufacturing, processing, agriculture and every sector of the economy.”

“In order to move forward with exploration programs, the Obama Administration must – once again – affirm the safety of drilling by expeditiously approving this environmental review. After more than six years of study, leaseholders must be afforded the opportunity to explore for these prodigious American resources.”

CEA has long-supported sensible Arctic offshore resource development through multiple membership calls to action, and will soon re-engage its network to support responsible Arctic development as part of this public comment period. Visit Consumer Energy Alliance’s action portal in the coming days to view and submit a comment in support of Arctic energy.