Legal Issues Related to Proposed Drilling for Oil and Gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ANWR

<p>Congress is again considering whether to permit drilling for oil and gas in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Alaska to designate the area as wilderness or to retain the status quo of maintaining the area as a Refuge without drilling. This area is rich in wildlife and wilderness values but may also contain significant oil and gas deposits. H.R. 567 and S. 261 have been introduced in the 109th Congress to designate the coastal plain of ANWR a wilderness but H.R. 6 has passed the House. Title XXII of the bill would authorize oil and gas leasing in ANWR. Both the House and Senate have approved H.Con.Res. 95 a budget resolution that may necessitate revenues from oil and gas development in the Refuge to meet the budget reconciliation targets and allow enactment of such legislation without filibuster. This report provides background on the legal issues surrounding ANWR development proposals and will be updated as circumstances warrant. For an updated summary of current actions on bills see CRS Issue Brief IB10136: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 109th Congress.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>