5276 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 23, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS H.R. 1600-NATIONAL FISH AND chant Marine and Fisheries Committee, I that is certain in the global oil market, it is that WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT ACT would like to reflect for a moment upon some the market is highly volatile and capable of OF 1989 of the central concepts of last year's bill. unpredictable swings. By way of example, this First, we believed that the status of ANWR past January I received a letter from an envi­ HON. WALTER B. JONES as a national wildlife refuge required a higher ronmental group urging me to forgo oil devel­ OF NORTH CAROLINA standard of due care than might otherwise be opment in ANWR because, among other IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES required for oil development on multiple-use things, they noted that the price of oil was public lands. The bill also highlighted the role only $13 a barrel. Less than 2 days later, I no­ Thursday, March 23, 1989 of the Director fo the U.S. Fish and Wildlife ticed in the newspaper that the price of oil Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Service and mandated that the Service remain had jumped to $17.54 a barrel-today the today I have introduced H.R. 1600, the Na­ in complete control of any oil and gas leasing world average price for oil is $15.86 per tional Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of program for ANWR. In addition, H.R. 3601 barrel. These figures reflect how unpredictable 1989, along with a bipartisan coalition of contained many provisions which accom­ the oil market can be. Members who are deeply committed to both plished this objective by establishing some of I believe that we will be doing the country a fish and wildlife conservation and the cautious the toughest environmental standards yet ap­ serious disservice if we cast our vote on development of this Nation's energy re­ plied to oil development in this country. By ANWR based upon the current price of oil. A sources. This bill addresses one of the most way of example, our bill would have banned much more relevant question is what will be hotly debated natural resource issues before the past North Slope practice of pumping re­ the price of oil in 1O years-the length of time Congress-the question of whether oil and serve pit fluids out into the tundra. I should it will take to get the first drop of ANWR oil gas leasing should be authorized on the add that as a result of the controversy sur­ into the Alaskan pipeline. Given the wild gyra­ coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife rounding this questionable disposal practice, tions the global oil market can go through in a Refuge [ANWR]. the two major operators at Prudhoe Bay have few short months-let alone in 1O long This issue was the subject of well over 20 recently announced changes in their drilling years-it is obvious why today's oil prices can hearings in both Houses during the last Con­ operations which will eliminate this practice al­ be a slender reed to lean on in casting one's gress. My own committee, the Committee on together. Perhaps H.R. 3601 's firm position on vote on ANWR. The uncertainty of the world Merchant Marine and Fisheries, held seven of reserve pit fluid disposal contributed in some oil market is a primary reason why the twin these hearings which addressed a wide varie­ small way toward facilitating this decision. In ty of issues ranging from the environmental any event, it illustrates how the bilt was antici­ goals of conservation and enhanced produc­ track record of the oil industry at Prudhoe Bay pated and reflects the future trends in waste tion must be pursued simultaneously and not to the anticipated impact of oil development management for oil development on the North sequentially. on the wildlife resources of ANWR. The diver­ Slope of Alaska. The above key concepts were central to sity of these issues was reflected in the diver­ The second key element of last year's bill H.R. 3601 and they are central to H.R. 1600. sity of the bills introduced on this subject in centered on the premise that if the national In providing further information on H.R. 1600, I the last Congress. Some of my colleagues resources of the national wildlife refuge were would like to include in the CONGRESSIONAL would have designated the 1.5 million acres of to be commercially developed, there ought to RECORD two briefing papers, one summarizing the coastal plain as wilderness while others be an overall net benefit back into fish and in some detail the specifics of H.R. 1600 and would have authorized an immediate oil and wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife the other highlighting some of the areas gas leasing program for the entire area with Refuge System. H.R. 3601 accomplished this where it differs from H.R. 3601. A couple of the revenues primarily going to the State of by dedicating most of the Federal revenues these differences, in particular, warrant further Alaska. generated by ANWR for wetland and wildlife discussion. First, while H.R. 1600 deletes H.R. The ANWR bill that I introduced last Con­ refuge acquisitions and the establishment of a 3601 's Manton amendment dealing with labor gress with Congressmen JOHN DINGELL and major new fish and wild Iif e enhancement trust issues and ANWR, the oil industry should not LINDSAY THOMAS, H.R. 3601, attempted to fund. This would generate a much needed interpret this as an antilabor move on my part. define the middle ground between these op­ boost in conservation funding for fish and Quite to the contrary, I intend to continue to posing positions. The bill as introduced con­ wildlife. While some might object to dedicating support some sort of labor provision dealing tained a variety of ideas designed to frame Federal revenues for this particular purpose, I with ANWR. The absence of such a provision key issues and generate spirited debate. We would point out that this approach is consist­ in the bill I introduced merely reflects my kept our minds open and we tried to be good ent with longstanding Federal wildlife policy. desire to give labor and the oil industry more listeners during the many hours of delibera­ Since 1935, revenues generated by commer­ time to reach a consensus on this issue if tion. By the time we entered into markup last cial activities within wildlife refuges have been possible. spring, our thinking had evolved considerably placed within the refuge revenue sharing fund Similarly, today's bill deletes a provision as reflected in a new bipartisan staff draft bill under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act (16 added to H.R. 3601 which would have banned on ANWR. This bipartisan revision of H.R. U.S.C. 715(s)). Moneys in this fund are used the export of oil out of ANWR. This deletion is 3601 was eventually reported out of the Mer­ to compensate local jurisdictions for lost tax not due to my opposition to the concept. To chant Marine and Fisheries Committee with revenues and to acquire additional wildlife ref­ the contrary, I believe that any oil produced majority support from both parties and only uges. H.R. 3601 was merely in keeping with from ANWR should be reserved for use in our minor modifications. Although the 1OOth Con­ this 53-year-old Federal wildlife policy. country. Existing law severely restricts export gress ended before further action could be The third premise of H.R. 3601 was that of any crude oil which travels down the trans­ taken on H.R. 3601, I felt that we were rapidly neither Congress nor the country would gain Alaska pipeline. Since we all expect ANWR oil closing in on an environmentally sensible ap­ anything by putting off for 2 or 3 additional to come down the pipeline, we already have proach to ANWR that would be acceptable to years a final decision on oil development in legal protection against exports. It is likely that a majority of our colleagues. ANWR. Last year we watched our naval ships my committee will vote to make this antiexport The bill that I introduced today, H.R. 1600, engaged in combat in the Persian Gulf. On policy explicit in H.R. 1600. is very similar to last year's H.R. 3601-per­ the home front, our balance-of-trade deficits H.R. 1600 has also dropped prior language haps only 5 percent of it has changed. Since continue to be staggering, aggravated serious­ in H.R. 3601 which urged that the "best com­ today's bill is so closely modeled after H.R. ly in 1989 by a projected $42 billion price tag mercially available" pollution control technology 3601 as previously reported out of the Mer- for imported oil. Moreover, if there is one thing be utilized in ANWR. It was not our intent in e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. March 23, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 5277 using this langauge in H.R. 3601 to modify or continue to welcome suggestions for improv­ 25%-to the Migratory Bird Conservation weaken the existing technology control stand­ ing the bill even further. Congress has thought Fund to be expended as follows: ards under environmental laws like the Clean about this matter long enough.