Merkley, colleagues move to ban Arctic oil, gas drilling

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR on Thursday introduced the Stop Arctic Drilling Act of 2019 , legislation to prohibit what he called “irresponsible and unacceptable drilling that puts at risk the health of local ecosystems, communities and the global climate.”

The bill would prevent any new or renewed leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean planning area.

Here’s the rest of Merkley’s news release:

This bill is cosponsored by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Ben Cardin (D-MD).

“Our communities are already facing the devastating impacts of climate chaos,” said Merkley. “Arctic drilling will skyrocket carbon pollution, cause catastrophic damage to our global economy and environment, and could irreparably damage some of our most precious American natural treasures. That is beyond reckless, and it’s time for Congress to make this region permanently off-limits for oil and gas corporations.”

“Scientists around the world are warning that the window of time for humans to prevent the most dramatic effects of climate change by reducing fossil fuel emissions and switching to cleaner energy sources is quickly closing,” said Whitehouse. “Opening up the Arctic to drilling would be an enormous step backward at a time when we can least afford it.”

“As our country faces a climate crisis that represents an existential threat to our health and wellbeing, it would be downright dangerous to open up the Arctic to drilling,” said Harris. “We must take serious steps to protect this important ecosystem while also working to mitigate the worst effects of climate change–and that starts with preventing irresponsible oil and gas drilling in the Arctic.”

“Our nation’s coasts and oceans are under serious threat from the Trump administration–and so is our climate,” said Warren. “The Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2019 would protect the Arctic Ocean from corporate polluters and help us confront the climate crisis.”

“When it comes to the environment, the Trump administration has shown it will always put profit over protection. This administration cannot be trusted to safeguard the health of our planet,” said Wyden. “The potential harm created by drilling in the Arctic far outweighs any perceived benefits to corporations. Protecting one of the last pristine landscapes on Earth is essential in the fight against climate change.”

“Let’s face facts: A calamitous oil spill in these waters isn’t just a risk – it’s a near certainty,” said Menendez. “And if all the overwhelming evidence about the real threat offshore drilling poses to the health of our local communities, vital ecosystems, and climate will not persuade the Trump Administration to abandon its reckless plans, Congress must act and act now.”

“Oil and gas drilling threaten not only our wildlife and our environment, but also the economy of Maryland’s coastal communities. That’s why I have repeatedly opposed proposals to allow these practices off the Atlantic,” said Van Hollen. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation, and I will continue fighting in Congress to prevent the Administration from taking steps that could hurt our environment and our economy.”

“Expanding Arctic drilling simply is not worth the risks — to wildlife and natural resources, and especially the communities that depend on them,” said Cardin. “We have already seen the inherent danger and expense of Arctic drilling. It’s also unnecessary and counterproductive to our efforts to reduce oil spills in sensitive waters and America’s carbon footprint. Congress can finally end this charade and focus new energy efforts elsewhere.”

This month, 84 degree temperatures in the Arctic coincided with reports that carbon dioxide has hit its highest level in human history. In order to ensure our children have a livable planet, the United States must transition aggressively and rapidly away from conventional fossil fuels and toward the use of renewable energy.

Arctic drilling operations will open a tremendous, untapped carbon reserve, setting back critical efforts to address climate chaos. Studies have repeatedly shown that we are approaching the end of our carbon budget, and that three-quarters of known fossil fuel reserves – which includes all the oil and gas reserves in the Arctic – must be kept in the ground if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate chaos.

In the interest of mitigating the most dire consequences of climate chaos and protecting the existence of countless endangered species populations, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management removed Arctic leases from its five-year program for oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf in 2016. In January 2018, however, the Trump Administration released a new draft proposal to reopen offshore drilling leases three years ahead of schedule.

The Department of Interior estimates there is a 75 percent chance of a large oil spill exceeding 42,000 gallons of oil should leases in the Arctic be developed, which would threaten to destroy the region’s ecosystem. The Arctic is home to endangered species such as bowhead whales, polar bears, and ringed seals, as well as invaluable and fragile ecosystems that are critical to fisheries, migratory birds, indigenous populations and subsistence hunters.

Treacherous conditions also risk the lives of oil rig workers, who face extreme cold temperatures, rough seas, and extended darkness in the winter months. Shell’s initial venture into the Arctic in 2012 resulted in an abandoned oil rig, a Coast Guard operation to save eights lives, and ended Shell’s Arctic operations after one day. The closest U.S. Coast Guard station to the Arctic, in Kodiak, is more than 900 air miles south of Alaska’s North Slope, limiting its ability to respond to a spill and prevent severe damage to ecosystems, communities, and indigenous subsistence hunters.

The full text of the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2019 is available here.