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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2018)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018 Alaska may open up again for oil leasing, but risks linger By DAN JOLING Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska — President Donald Trump’s plan to open America’s oceans to petroleum drilling drew condemnation from West Coast and Florida governors but was welcomed in the state where most lease sales could be held. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, an independent facing re-elec- tion this year, embraced Inte- rior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s proposed 19 lease sales in the state, including six in the potentially oil rich but envi- ronmentally sensitive Arctic Ocean waters. “The Department of Inte- rior’s draft five-year offshore leasing plan is an important step toward allowing Alas- kans to responsibly develop our natural resources as we see fit,” he said. But the big question is whether oil companies will commit the substan- tial resources it would take to invest in a frontier area where the cost of drilling is extremely high compared to other regions — and simul- taneously face the wrath of environmental groups fiercely opposed to Arctic offshore drilling. Royal Dutch Shell spent $2.1 billion on Chukchi Sea leases in 2008, invested another $5 billion overall in U.S. Arctic waters, and pulled out after drilling a dry hole in 2015. Oil companies closely watched Shell’s experience, said Mark Barteau, director of the University of Michigan Energy Institute. “There’s lower hanging fruit elsewhere,” Barteau said. “It’s all about going after the easy stuff first.” Shell has no current plans to pursue future offshore Alaska exploration, said Shell spokesman Curtis Smith in an email. It was too early to know how Trump’s draft five-year plan would play into future portfolio decisions. “Given the desire to keep pace with natural field decline and the inherent uncertainty associated with exploration, California has ample weapons to fight Trump on drilling Solid regulatory and legal tools By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press James Brooks/Kodiak Daily Mirror An Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter flies over the Kulluk, the Shell floating drilling barge off Kodiak Island in Alaska’s Kiliuda Bay, as salvage teams conduct an in-depth assess- ment of its seaworthiness in 2013. more options are always pref- erable when it comes to poten- tial lease acreage — both on and offshore,” he said. The Beaufort Sea, off Alas- ka’s north coast, holds an esti- mated 8.9 billion barrels of oil, and the Chukchi, off Alaska’s northwest coast, holds an esti- mated 15.4 billion barrels. Arctic waters also provide habitat for threatened polar bears, walruses and bowhead whales and are the home of Inupiat villages. Hanging over any Arctic water sales is the question of whether spills — which drilling critics say are inevitable — can be cleaned up in ice-choked or ice-cov- ered water along coastline with negligible infrastructure compared to the Gulf of Mex- ico and other drilling regions. Alaska’s bitter cold, fierce storms and darkness in winter add to the challenge. “With an oil spill impossi- ble to contain or clean up in these remote waters, today’s decision needlessly places in harm’s way the wildlife, cul- tures and communities that have long called this region home,” said Brad Ack, the World Wildlife Fund’s senior vice president for oceans, said Thursday. Environmental groups delayed Shell’s exploratory drilling with successful law- suits challenging the fed- eral government’s inadequate environmental review of Arc- tic waters preceding the 2008 sale. Two years later, after the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, federal reg- ulators negotiated strict Arc- tic operating rules to prevent a similar disaster off Alaska. The requirements include a shortened drilling season, second drilling rigs stationed nearby that could drill relief wells after blowouts and an armada of support vessels ready to cap blowouts or clean up spills. The aftermath of Shell drilling in 2012 gave critics another Alaska drilling prob- lem to highlight. A Shell drill- ing barge, the Kulluk, broke loose from its towing vessel and ran aground near Kodiak Island. And the company Shell hired to drill at a second site paid $12.2 million after plead- ing guilty to eight maritime pollution and safety counts. Shell finally completed an exploratory well in 2015 but it was dry. Citing the disap- pointing results, and challeng- ing and unpredictable federal regulatory environment, the company abandoned drilling in U.S. Arctic waters. The Trump administra- tion could loosen Arctic drill- ing operating rules but bidders would still face environmen- tal opposition. Protesters in 2015 boarded a Shell drill- ing rig as it crossed the Pacific Ocean and hung from a bridge in Portland to block a com- pany vessel from leaving for Alaska. Companies drilling off northern Alaska could face similar public relations issues. “I suspect that’s one of the things they would consider,” Barteau said. With Shell’s departure, for- mer Interior Secretary Sally Jewell suspended additional planned Arctic lease sales and left them out of the Obama administration five-year drill- ing plan, citing a lack of interest. Walker, overseeing an oil-dependent state desperate to find ways to refill the trans- Alaska pipeline that once transported 2.1 million barrels daily but averaged 527,000 in 2017, took hope from Zinke’s announcement. Walker said he looked for- ward to working with the fed- eral government to unleash Alaska’s energy potential while taking into account envi- ronmental and safety concerns. SAN FRANCISCO — In the decades since a 1969 oil spill near Santa Barbara tarred sea-life and gave rise to the U.S. environmental movement, politicians and environmental activists have built up ample ways to make it difficult but not impossible for the Trump administration to renew drilling off Califor- nia’s coast. The Interior Depart- ment said Thursday it plans to open most federal waters off the United States to oil leases. In California, where no new federal leases offshore have been approved since 1984, Gov. Jerry Brown joined governors of Ore- gon and Washington state in vowing to do “whatever it takes” to stop that from hap- pening off the West Coast. State officials, environ- mental groups and oil-in- dustry analysts say Califor- nia has solid regulatory and legal means to try to make good on that threat. For one thing, oil com- panies know that even if the federal government sells leases in federal waters, Cal- ifornia and other coastal states by law control the 3 miles nearest to shore, all along the coasts. That means California decides on permits for any oil pipelines that would con- nect oil platforms to land, along with any transport centers, refineries or hold- ing stations once the crude makes it ashore. “Operators don’t tend to operate (off) states that don’t want production,” said Kevin Book, an analyst with ClearView Energy Partners in Washington, D.C. There are ways around California’s 3-mile lock on shore — such as using ships to transport oil from platforms in federal waters instead of pipelines, he said. But considering all the potential financial, regula- tory and legal problems oil companies would face in drilling off California, oil prices would have to go far higher to make that enticing, Book said. “At today’s crude oil prices, the way companies look at political risk … when you do the math on paper it doesn’t add up,” Book said. Two Democratic state lawmakers, Al Muratsu- chi of Torrance and Han- nah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara, said Friday they would reintroduce stalled legislation from last year that would bar the state from permitting pipelines or any other support for new oil and gas drilling in federal waters off California. Brown joined both U.S. senators and other state offi- cials last year in appeal- ing unsuccessfully to Pres- ident Barack Obama to ban California offshore drill- ing before he left office, and polls show most Califor- nians opposed to offshore drilling. Californians vividly remember the 1969 oil spill and a 2015 Southern Cali- fornia spill from a pipeline serving a platform in fed- eral waters that blackened more than 100 miles of pub- lic beaches and closed two state parks. “You walk on the beach and see oil in the sand and the water and washing up, and there’s dead birds and dead fish,” said Kristen His- lop, with the Environmental Defense Center, a Santa Bar- bara environmental group formed in response to the 1969 oil spill. “You very much remember why we fight so hard to protect our coastline.” In California, “we do have plenty of opportunity to fight these new oil develop- ments and we will pursue all those avenues,” said Linda Krop, legal counsel for the same group. CLASSIFIEDINDEX classifieds NOTICES MARINE Special Notices ............................. 104 Boats for Sale................................. 251 Public Notices ............................... 107 Boating Parts & Accessories ..... 254 Announcements .......................... 110 Boats Wanted ................................ 257 Boat Trailers ................................... 260 PERSONALS Marine Supplies & Equip. .......... 266 Lots & Found ................................. 181 Boat/RV Storage ........................... 269 Personals ........................................ 184 Fund-raisers ................................... 188 RVs & Trailers RVs & Travel Trailers ............ 301-307 AUTOMOTIVE Campers, Utility Trailers .... 310-313 Antiques/Classic Vehicles ......... 201 Automobiles .................................. 204 REAL ESTATE SUVs/Trucks .......................... 207-210 Open Houses ................................. 501 4WD .................................................. 213 For Sale ................................... 504-513 Vans .................................................. 216 Lots & Acreage .............................. 516 ATVs/Motorcycles ........................ 219 Income Property .......................... 519 Truck/Auto Parts .......................... 222 Manufactured Homes ................ 522 Detailing ......................................... 225 Commercial Property ................. 525 Tires & Wheels ............................... 228 Real Estate Wanted ..................... 531 RENTALS Properties for Rent ............. 601-613 Rooms & Roommates................. 616 Commercial Rental ...................... 619 Vacation Rentals .......................... 622 Storage Space ............................... 628 Wanted to Rent ............................ 634 RV/Mobile Home Space ............ 637 PETS/LIVESTOCK WE GETRESULTS Animal Boarding .......................... 701 Feed-Hay-Grain ............................ 704 Pets & Supplies ............................. 710 Horses & Tack ................................ 713 DANIELLE MISCELLANEOUS CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD Fuel, Heating & Firewood ......... 807 Furniture & HH Goods ................ 810 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TV & Electronics ........................... 811 Business Opportunities ............. 643 Antiques & Collectibles ............. 813 Business for Sale .......................... 644 Jewelry ............................................ 814 Arts & Crafts ................................... 816 503-325-3211 or 800-781-3211 x231 Email: classifieds@dailyastorian.com Web: www.dailyastorian.com HELP WANTED Help Wanted .................................. 651 APPLIANCES & EQUIP. Work Wanted ................................. 652 Tools & Heavy Equipment ........ 851 Lawn & Garden Equipment ...... 854 SERVICES Appliances ..................................... 860 Childcare/Adult Care .................. 661 Medical Equip. & Supply ........... 866 Services ........................................... 664 Farm Equipment .......................... 923 coa st weekend Y ou r loca l gu ide to A rt, En terta in m en t, Food & Fu n THE DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS is 1 p.m. the day before your ad is scheduled to run 107 Public Notices Occasionally other companies make telemarketing calls off classified ads. These companies are not affiliated with The Daily Astorian and customers are under no obligation to participate. If you would like to contact the attorney general or be put on the do not call list, here are the links to both of them Complaint form link: http://www.doj.state.or.us/ finfraud/ Go. Do. coastweekend.com dining • the arts • music shopping • museums • classes • movies gardening • news • blogs • more coa stw eek en d.com Short, Sweet, and to the Point! Classified ads are a quick and easy way to get extra cash in your pocket! Call 503-325-3211 to place your ad order today! All classifieds require pre-payment 251 Boats for Sale 504 Homes for Sale PUBLISHER’S NOTICE 2018 27 LOA Xtaero XT24DV Long Cabin Twin Outboard Xtaero Boats seeks a demo owner willing to offset boat by allowing factory marketing. Businessmen near San Francisco and Valdez just took this offer. Xtaero is highly regarded by professional operators in Alaska. We build to suit. Looking for help on Oregon Coast. Visit www.xtaeroboats.com Tacoma, WA. Call 907-342-2141 ERROR AND CANCELLATIONS Please read your ad on the first day. If you see an error, The Daily Astorian will gladly re-run your ad correctly. 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