Americans for American Energy is a good site to monitor the state of our domestic energy development. The following press release is yet another example of the politicians in Washington working against the interests of the American people and specifically for the special interest groups. This has got to stop or we’ll never gain our energy independence from our enemy’s.

NEWS
For immediate release: June 9, 2008
Contact: Greg Schnacke, 866-416-0659

Western Legislators Condemn Sen. Salazar For Trying To Block Oil Shale, Natural Gas Development In The West

Salazar effort ‘will directly help foreign terror groups,’ charges one Western legislator

DENVER, Co. (June 9, 2008) – While consumers battle $4-a-gallon gas prices, a single U.S. Senator is trying to block America from developing oil shale, an American resource that could single-handedly end America’s dependence on expensive foreign oil.

Colorado’s Ken Salazar (D) is reportedly trying to use the U.S. Defense Authorization Bill to put oil shale development in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming on permanent hold by blocking commercial oil shale leasing on public lands.

Salazar also plans to use the Defense Authorization bill to block the efficient development of an estimated nine trillion cubic feet of clean-burning natural gas in the U.S. Naval Oil Shale Reserve, located in Western Colorado.  That gas is enough to heat four million homes for 20 years.

“I fear that Ken Salazar has been misled by environmental extremists who don’t seem to care about seeing America come more energy independent,” said Wyoming State Senator Bill Vasey (D), Board Chairman of Americans for American Energy (AAE).  “The leaders of some of these groups actually want consumers to get hit with higher prices, because they believe that this is the only way to force people to conserve.  That’s not right.  We should be looking to increase the supply of American energy for America, which will help reduce the upward pressure on prices.”

“The U.S. Defense Authorization bill is not the place to be adding amendments that restrict the domestic energy production that our Armed Forces need,” Vasey added.  “This flies directly in the face of the reason for the creation of the U.S. Naval Oil Shale Reserves in the first place.”

“If Ken Salazar succeeds, consumers from coast-to-coast will end up getting two black eyes,” said Colorado State Senator Bill Cadman, a member of the Board of AAE.  “I can’t understand how anyone would hamstring America from becoming more energy independent at a time when prices are soaring.  This is simply inexcusable.”

“Blocking oil shale development from proceeding and bottling up natural gas in the Naval Oil Shale Reserve helps America’s enemies and will put more money directly into the pockets of terrorist groups that are trying to kill Americans right now,” said Utah State Representative Aaron Tilton.  “It’s just that simple.  This man is aiding and abetting the sworn enemies of our nation.  Whose side is he on?”

“We have American troops in harm’s way right now in part to defend America’s access to foreign oil, and to stabilize a situation in the Middle East that is in effect creating higher and higher fuel prices here at home,” said Utah State Representative Mike Noel (R).  “Using a defense bill to block responsible development of over a trillion barrels of oil from oil shale is not only wrong but it is exactly the kind of crackpot ideas the folks have come to expect from the out-of-touch Washington, D.C., crowd.

“The defense bill is about defending America, not making us more dependent on foreign oil and in effect weaker. Senator Salazar and every member of Congress should be rolling up their sleeves and looking at ways to tap into the 200 years of oil resources located within the boundaries of the United States, which makes us stronger as a nation.”

The Department of Defense Authorization Bill is expected to be called up Senate action as early as this week, according to Congressional sources.

Salazar championed action in Congress last year to place a commercial leasing moratorium for oil shale development, effectively stopping all meaningful research and development activity by private industry due to lack of commercial development potential.

Regarding the Naval Oil Shale Reserve, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has adopted the most restrictive Resource Management Plan in its history, taking nearly seven years since Congress directed the agency to lease the NOSR for responsible oil and gas development.  Blocking leasing of the area could cost the federal government over $1 billion in lost lease bonus revenue and billions of dollars more over the life of the project in lost royalties.

# # #

Contact: Greg Schnacke, 866-416-0659

Americans for American Energy
350 Indiana Street, Suite 640
Golden, CO 80401
info@americansforamericanenergy.org