Of course George Allen supports oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But you'll be shocked to know why he's okay with it:
+óGé¼+ôI support the exploration on the Northern slope of Alaska,+óGé¼-¥ said Allen. +óGé¼+ôIt can be done, and it won+óGé¼Gäót bother any of these mosquitoes in the summer and in the winter it+óGé¼Gäós like the dark side of the moon.+óGé¼-¥
Alaska's "Northern Slope" is already open for oil: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge makes up 27% of Alaska's Northern Slope, while the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPRA) makes up the other 73%. Thus, the NPRA is public land already open for drilling with even more untapped wells.
So, when Allen talks about the Northern Slope, he means opening up the rest of it - the portion reserved as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And this refuge isn't just some haven for skeeters. According to the federal government:
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to some of the most diverse and spectacular wildlife in the arctic. The Refuge's rich pageant of wildlife includes 36 fish species, 36 land mammals, nine marine mammals, and more than 160 migratory and resident bird species.
Check out the list on mammals alone: we're talking whales, seals, caribou, bears, and more.
So, either Allen is recklessly uninformed about the refuge and this issue in general or he's purposefully hiding the truth about this national treasure for his oil drilling dreams.
Next up for Allen's oil derricks: the Virginia coastline!