Testimony of Carl Portman, Deputy Director
December 5, 2011 Anchorage, AK

The Resource Development Council (RDC) appreciates the opportunity to present brief comments on the Point Thomson Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

RDC is a statewide organization made up of all resource sectors, business associations, labor unions, Native corporations, tourism providers, local governments and individuals. RDC’s purpose is to encourage a strong, diversified private sector in Alaska and expand the state’s economic base through the responsible development of our natural resources.

RDC strongly supports the advancement of the Point Thomson project, which is essential to the success of the Alaska gas pipeline project – a major clean-energy priority of the Obama administration. Point Thomson contains an important component of gas volume to be moved by an Alaska gas pipeline and accounts for approximately 25 percent of known North Slope gas reserves.

Development of Point Thomson resources will help meet domestic energy needs, reduce dependence on foreign sources, and increase throughput in TAPS, which is currently operating at one-third capacity. In addition, this multi-billion dollar project will provide hundreds of new jobs, additional tax revenues to local, state and federal governments, and help boost the private sector economy in Alaska and the Lower 48. In fact, Point Thomson development and subsequent production will serve as a lasting economic stimulus with virtually no cost to the federal government.

RDC urges the Corps to adopt Alternative B as the preferred alternative. Alternative B provides the safest, most environmentally-responsible option for Point Thomson’s development. It minimizes the environmental footprint by incorporating a combination of summer coastal barging, winter ice roads, aviation, and in-field gravel roads. These features are essential to the project’s safe and efficient operations.

With regard to polar bears, this project will not pose a threat to the survival of the species. Polar bear denning habitat is plentiful, widely distributed and undisturbed on the Beaufort Sea coastal plain. It is highly unlikely that denning habitat will become a limiting factor for polar bears, even when all foreseeable development activity is taken into account. We certainly do not see any significant impact from Point Thomson on critical habitat for polar bears.

RDC appreciates the opportunity to express its support for the Point Thomson project and urges the Corps to move forward with Alternative B. RDC will submit more detailed comments on the various alternatives before next month’s deadline. Thank you.