AAPG Backs Further Climate Study

Four Policy Statements Approved

Four Policy Statements concerning issues facing the upstream industry have been approved by the AAPG Executive Committee on behalf of the U.S. members of the association.

The statements were produced by - and will be distributed by - the AAPG Division of Professional Affairs' Governmental Affairs Committee.

The committee, chaired by Dwight "Clint" Moore, of Houston, has produced a total of nine statements since 1998 that have received the Executive Committee nod.

Approved at an October meeting were statements on:

Climate Change ...

... in support of expanding scientific research into the question, and opposing implementation, of the Kyoto Protocol prior to Senate ratification.

Natural Gas Supply ...

... expressed concerns that deliverability in the face of growing consumption is a possibility.

Endangered Species Act ...

... urges reform of the law to minimize adverse effects to private landowners and natural resource developers.

Clean Water Act-Wetlands Access ...

... supports environmentally sound development of natural resources in areas affected by the laws.

Previous Policy Statements included:

Support for allowing exploration and production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
Support of full exploration and production on the Outer Continental Shelf and Slope of the United States.
Support of continued access to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah for exploration and development.
Support of tax reform that calls for fairer tax expensing of all costs and elimination of punitive taxes that unfairly burden E&P.
Support for continued R&D investment in the domestic independent petroleum industry.

The policy statements were conveyed to congressional members and staffers during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. You can read about this trip in your December Explorer's President's Column.