SECOND REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 40

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

5529L.01I

      Whereas, the United States consumes 20 million barrels of oil a day. Sixty-five percent of that oil must be imported due to environmental lock-up restrictions on oil production on America's offshore Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and areas like the 10-02 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) where huge oil and gas deposits are known to exist; and

            Whereas, environmental groups have been successful for 25 years in stalling or blocking legislation to open up these areas due to an uncompromising belief that any human development destroys nature and the two are not compatible; and

            Whereas, the 10-02 Area of ANWR was created with the expansion of ANWR in 1980 and defined specifically as an area "for the study of oil and gas development"; and

            Whereas, geologists and the United States Geological Survey believe that area contains the largest oil field to be found in the world in over 30 years; and

            Whereas, the 10-02 Area of ANWR cannot be opened without permission from Congress and signature by the President of the United States; and

            Whereas, the oil America imports currently cost the nation $1.5 billion a day and remains the single largest drain on the economy. At estimated flow rates, ANWR 10-02 oil could save the nation between $125 and $187 million a day for decades; and

            Whereas, "The American Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008" would limit the development footprint within the 10-02 Area of ANWR to 2000 acres, and would mandate the use of the "best development technology available". Half of the first $3.5 billion of lease sale royalties would be used to fund development of alternative "green" energies, with the other half going to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Women's, Infants' and Children's Nutrition Program; and

            Whereas, ANWR oil is unique among energy sources as its development costs the American taxpayer nothing and will contribute hundreds of billions of dollars to federal coffers, something no other energy source does; and

            Whereas, the price of oil is high due to the extreme tension between high demand versus short supply which in the United States has reached just 1% or less difference between supply and demand. This is exacerbated by the weak dollar against other hard currencies and political unrest in oil-producing regions of the world; and

            Whereas, the opening of the 10-02 Area of ANWR is supported by the Alaskan Native communities that live there, the Alaska State Legislature, the Governor of Alaska, and over 75% of Alaskans:

            Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fourth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge Congress to enact "The American Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008" to open the 10-02 Area of ANWR to oil and gas leasing due to the high price of oil; and

            Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation.