Sen. Huggins Advocates for Passage of HJR 29 – Legacy Wells in NPRA | March 23rd, 2012
Sen. Charlie Huggins advocated for passage of HJR 29, sponsored by Rep. Charisse Millett, during the Alaska Senate floor session on Friday, March 23, 2012. HJR 29 asks the BLM and Department of the Interior to plug oil drill holes in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) on Alaska’s North Slope. The 137 wells were drilled by the BLM between 1944 and 1981. Some have signifcant amounts of diesel in them, at least one is leaking natural gas, and many have some degree of abandoned junk laying around them. Sen. Huggins notes the hypocrisy of the federal government not cleaning up their environmental impacts, yet every privately drilled well must adhere to strict state and federal standards. HJR 29 passed the Senate unanimously.
