Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be Open for Oil Drilling

Caribou and Brooks Range, Arctic NWR” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source:  American Progress

The debate over whether to continue protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or to open it up for oil drilling continues as Congress seeks to pull in over $1 billion in funds.

A report from the Center for American Progress however finds that the collection of funds would amount to far less — about $37 million over the next 10 years.

The report also highlights the dangers posed to the coastal plain of the Arctic refuge in addition to creating disadvantages to energy producing states in the mountain west.

Additionally, the report found that the US offers energy companies more land than they are bidding for. Within six years, for example, the government offered 2.8 million acres of land for drilling unnecessarily, yet only 158,000 acres were purchased.

Read Full Story: American Progress

Environment, News
Environment, News