Snowe, Collins vote against drilling in Arctic Wildlife Refuge

By Deirdre Fulton

WASHINGTON – Republican Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan M. Collins voted against a majority of their party Wednesday in opposing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Both senators said reducing energy reliance and increasing energy efficiency would accomplish more than drilling in the Alaska refuge, which, they warned, would have negative environmental and economic effects.

The 52-48 vote, with eight Republicans voting against Alaskan drilling, eliminated a Bush Administration proposal in the Senate version of next year's budget resolution that called for drilling in the refuge. Supporters of the measure argued that especially now, the U.S. needs to become more energy independent and that the drilling would have minimal environmental impact.

But opponents of drilling in the region said it would harm a priceless national treasure. The area is home to many species of animals including polar bears, caribou and the native Gwich'in Indians. In a statement, Snowe said because the gap between U.S. oil consumption and oil production is so vast, the nation should look not to more drilling, but to a more comprehensive energy policy.

Today, the United States consumes about 25 percent of the world's oil but possesses only 3 percent of its oil reserves, Collins pointed out in a statement. For this reason, she said, drilling in the Arctic refuge would do "almost nothing to decrease our reliance on foreign oil."

Instead, Collins advocated renewable energy sources and an energy policy that would increase national energy efficiency.

Snowe, with California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, recently introduced legislation aimed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions by raising automotive fuel economy standards.

This legislation "could more than offset oil retrieved from the Arctic Refuge," she said, "and will provide lasting benefits far beyond the expected oil recovery possible in the refuge."

Snowe and Collins acted as leaders in the environmental fight by voting as they did, said Maureen Drouin, organizer of the Maine Sierra Club. She said drilling in the Arctic "would not save consumers a dime." Instead, oil recovered from the refuge would take 10 years to get to the market and would provide about a six-month supply, she said.

"Americans consistently voice support for protecting the Arctic, and today the Senate listened by rejecting this backdoor attempt to drill in this special place," Drouin said.

Published in The Kennebec Journal and The Morning Sentinel, in Maine.