UPDATE - Alaska drilling fight looming with energy bill
Date: 28-Jun-02
Country: USA
Author: Tom Doggett
Clashes are expected over the Republican-led House of Representatives' desire to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and to distribute some $33 billion in energy tax credits.
The Democratic-controlled Senate's version of an energy bill would keep the refuge off limits to drilling, triple the use of ethanol-blended gasoline and spend $14 billion on energy tax breaks.
Democrats John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who are negotiators on the 61-member conference committee, said the Senate would reject energy legislation that gave oil firms access to the refuge.
"Let me make this as clear as I can: Any proposal to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be dead on arrival in the Senate," Lieberman said.
The Alaskan refuge, which stretches over 19 million acres.