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Will Senate stop arctic oil permitting the House already approved?

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
In a nutshell, areas in the arctic are designated and PRE-APPROVED for oil exploration and drilling. Then an oil company buys a lease and pays for it. Then an oil company applies for permits to actually do the drilling. Then the EPA starts to delay and delay and delay. Often for as many as 5 years before it may ultimately DENY the permit.

So the HOUSE 'o Representin' decided to pass a bill that would REQUIRE the EPA to either approve or deny the permit within 6 months. Now its off to the SENATE. Anyone want to bet if this will pass? I suspect that Harry Reid and his crew will knock this common sense bill down in flames.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011...Type=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

. . . The Republican-controlled House voted 253 to 166 in favor of the bill, which would require the Environmental Protection Agency to approve or deny applications to drill on the outer continental shelf within six months.

"Current impediments have delayed development of the Beaufort and Chukchi sea for over five years," the bill's sponsor, Republican congressman Cory Gardner, said in a speech on the House floor.

"These are areas that have already been approved for drilling; the revenues for the leases have already been collected by the federal government," he said.

The bill, which faces a tougher road to passage in the Democrat-controlled Senate, would also eliminate the authority of EPA's Environmental Appeals Board to weigh in on the Arctic exploration permits.

That appeals board scuttled Royal Dutch Shell's plans to drill in the Beaufort Sea this year, when it revoked a key air permit.

The board's decision was the latest in a series of setbacks Shell has encountered since it began picking up significant offshore Alaska leases in 2005. . . .
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
In a nutshell, areas in the arctic are designated and PRE-APPROVED for oil exploration and drilling. Then an oil company buys a lease and pays for it. Then an oil company applies for permits to actually do the drilling. Then the EPA starts to delay and delay and delay. Often for as many as 5 years before it may ultimately DENY the permit.

Bob, that's how the system has always worked.

When I worked for a major oil company, every year during the budget cycle I had to prepare detailed drilling plans and costs for leases offshore California and Florida that we all knew were never going to be drilled. The company had already bought the leases from the Feds but any application to drill was always blocked by the States or the EPA. It was a huge investment in cash, time and money that was basically wasted. And yes, I do think the Senate will shoot it down. It doesn't have a chance but I'm willing to be surprised.

Oh, I forgot to mention that part of the lease purchase agreement usually states that if the lease isn't drilled in a specified time, it reverts back to the Government to be resold. Only Governments can get away with crap like that.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
I think if you buy a lease from the feds than they block drilling than uncle sam should refud your money my guess this is why shell is back on to drill in the chuckchee sea next summer bummer it didn't happen this summer our economy is starting to crumble up here and we could use a shot n the arm i suppose we will just have to get through another winter
 
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