As a site for huge potential oil reserves, Alaska's North Slope has long been a battleground between environmentalists and energy companies. Interior Secretary Donald Hodel renewed the debate last week by proposing that a section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to drilling. He would permit exploration on 1.5 million acres of the 19-million-acre preserve, which could contain between 600 million and 9 billion bbl. of crude. Conservationists contend that drilling would disturb the region's delicate ecosystem for little reason: a strike, they claim, would add just 4% to U.S. oil reserves. Canada also objects to drilling, for fear...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
