"Lel Bruce Peto" updating news flash...

Sat Jun 28 01:22:18 EDT 2003

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
There were about 100-200 potential amendments to debate on the bill. 
According to a Senate Energy Committee spokesman, "the three main issues 
remaining" were an amendment to allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic 
National Wildlife Refuge; a proposal to make voluntary the bill's 
requirement that companies register their greenhouse gas emission 
reductions with the government; and a package of tax incentives to 
encourage domestic energy production and energy efficiency. 

Some amendments included in the US Senate energy bill include:

)B• Mar 6, 95-3 vote to prohibit the building of any natural gas pipeline 
from the North Slope to the Lower 48 that does not follow the "southern 
route" through the state's interior and along the Alaska Highway.

)B• Mar 14, 56-44 vote to adopt amendment exempting pickup trucks from 
higher mileage standards.

)B• Apr 11, unanimous consent to a program to hire and train additional mine 
inspectors.

)B• Apr 11, unanimous consent for an energy-efficiency study to be conducted 
by the National Academy of Sciences.

)B• Apr 11, unanimous consent to study high-temperature superconducting 
technologies.

)B• Apr 11, unanimous consent for a pilot program to conserve energy through 
bicycle riding.

)B• Apr 18, 88-10 vote to add an amendment to the energy bill that would ban 
imports of Iraqi oil into the US. 

)B• Apr 18, 54 to 46 vote not to limit debate on the controversial amendment 
to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.