© USF&WS
UPDATE 12/21/05: - YES!!!
Ben Lieberman’s article “Myths about Drilling in ANWR” appearing on Foxnews.com would almost be funny were it not for the fact that the House of Representatives voted Sunday to attach ANWR drilling to a “must-pass” Defense Spending Bill. There are so many factual errors and flawed logic in Lieberman’s article, I haven't the time to address them all (please visit Manomet's ANWR FAQ), but I will at least cite the following bungle:
“It is worth noting that another wildlife refuge in Alaska, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, has had drilling onsite for decades. The oil production there rarely makes the news because it has not caused any problems, even though Kenai has far more wildlife than ANWR.”
Apparently to Mr. Lieberman 350 hazardous chemical spills…just isn’t a problem! In fact, in January of 1999 Unocal spilled 228,000 gallons of crude oil in the Kenai NWR. For a more detailed article on damage to Alaskan refuges, see “Toxic Tunrda: Oil Drilling in an Alaskan Wildlife Refuge Leaves a Toxic Legacy of Oil Spills and Pollution” from Audubon.org.
When Lieberman writes “we’re talking about 10 billion barrels of domestic oil located in an area with a proven track record for environmentally responsible drilling” one wonders exactly what he means. He's either wholly ignorant or being intentionally deceptive to Fox News readers. I guess that's "fair and balanced" for you!
As I’ve stated here before, oil spills are so commonplace that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has established a website for the Prevention and Emergency Response Program. You can read about the latest spills and cleanup efforts at this website.
© Mike McDowell
Link: FAQ about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Manomet