Can the Obama Administration tell the truth about anything? Barely into the second term, it has long been clear that the only time
you don’t have to decide whether this administration is being dishonest
or incompetent is when it is being incompetently dishonest. Such is the case with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell’s June 28 letter
to Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell rebuffing his pledge of $50 million in state
funding for 3-D seismic exploration of the coastal plain of the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. “This Administration remains opposed to drilling in the Refuge and I
support that position,” Jewell wrote. “We, nevertheless, have reviewed
your offer and conclude that any new ‘exploratory activity,’ which would
include seismic work by the statutory definition, is prohibited by the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and would
require Congressional authorization.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but that’s a straight-up lie. To figure that out, you need read no further than the “purpose”
statement in the very section of ANILCA cited by Jewell (16 USC 3142b)
in her letter to Parnell: “The purpose of this section is to provide for a comprehensive and
continuing inventory and assessment of the fish and wildlife resources
of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; an analysis
of the impacts of oil and gas exploration, development, and production,
and
to authorize exploratory activity within the coastal plain
in a manner that avoids significant adverse effects on the fish and
wildlife and other resources.” (emphasis mine) So while Jewell claims Congressional authorization is needed for
exploratory activity, a plain reading of the purpose statement shows
that approval has already been granted. Jewell wasn’t done, though...
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