Posted by
Ron Devito on Friday, April 30, 2010 10:16:37 PM
Following is the complete transcript of Gov. Palin's Facebook Note
asserting how vital it is that we proceed with responsible domestic
energy development even in the face of the Gulf Coast tragedy:
We’ve all been shocked and saddened by the tragic events
in the Gulf of Mexico. My heart breaks for coastal residents who are
facing fears of the unknown impacts of the oil spill.
As an Alaskan, I can speak from the heart about the tragedy of an oil
spill. For as long as I live, I will never forget the day the
Exxon-Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef and millions of gallons of North
Slope crude poured into the waters of our beautiful Prince William
Sound. The spill was devastating to so many Alaskans who, like my own
family, make their living on the water from our commercial fishing
industry. “Heartbreaking” was the word my husband Todd, an Alaska Native
and trained oil spill responder, used to describe the scene as we
watched it unfold on land and water that we feel is sacred.
Alaskans understand the tragedy of an oil spill, and we’ve taken
steps to do all we can to prevent another Exxon tragedy, but we are
still pro-development. We still believe in responsible development,
which includes drilling to extract energy sources, because we know that
there is an inherent link between energy and security, energy and
prosperity, and energy and freedom. Production of our own resources
means security for America and opportunities for American workers. We
need oil, and if we don’t drill for it here, we have to purchase it from
countries that not only do not like America and can use energy
purchases as a weapon against us, but also do not have the oversight
that America has.
In the coming days, there will be hearings to discover the cause of
the explosion and the subsequent leak. Actions will be taken to increase
oversight to prevent future accidents. Government can and must play an
appropriate role here. If a company was lax in its prevention practices,
it must be held accountable. It is inexcusable for any oil company to
not invest in preventative measures. They must be held accountable or
the public will forever distrust the industry.
This was the position I took as an oil and gas regulator and as
Governor of Alaska when my administration ramped up oversight of the oil
industry and created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor
our oil and gas infrastructure for potential environmental risks. I took
a lot of heat for the stand I took “against the oil industry” (which is
how political adversaries labeled my actions). But we took tough action
because there was proof of some improper maintenance of oil
infrastructure which I believed was unacceptable. We instituted new
oversight and held British Petroleum (BP) financially accountable for
poor maintenance practices. We also filed a Friend-of-the-Court brief
against Exxon’s interests for its decades-old responsibility to
compensate Alaskans affected by the Valdez spill, and I took other
actions “against” the industry which ultimately helped hold it
accountable.
All responsible energy development must be accompanied by strict
oversight, but even with the strictest oversight in the world, accidents
still happen. No human endeavor is ever without risk – whether it’s
sending a man to the moon or extracting the necessary resources to fuel
our civilization. I repeat the slogan “drill here, drill now” not out of
naiveté or disregard for the tragic consequences of oil spills – my
family and my state and I know firsthand those consequences. How could I
still believe in drilling America’s domestic supply of energy after
having seen the devastation of the Exxon-Valdez spill? I continue to
believe in it because increased domestic oil production will make us a
more secure, prosperous, and peaceful nation.
Our hearts go out to all Americans along the coast affected by this
recent tragedy, especially those who lost family members in the rig
explosion, and our prayers go up for a successful recovery. May spill
responders be safe.
-Sarah Palin
- Posted using BlogPress from my Palin-Powered iPhone