In Jersey or the Arctic, defend the ecology | Feedback

As the tax deal package moves through Congress, it should be no surprise that there are provisions that have nothing to do with taxes.

One of the most egregious amendments in the Senate version -- now subject to inclusion in a House/Senate combined bill -- is a full-scale environmental attack and a giveaway to the oil industry: It would allow the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northern Alaska to oil and gas exploration.

The refuge, created during the Eisenhower era, is a national treasure and one of the last truly wild places on Earth. ANWR harbors more than 250 animals in a sensitive tundra ecosystem, including caribou, muskoxen and polar bears. The refuge has been targeted for by the oil industry for production for more than 40 years, and its future remains in peril.

Environment New Jersey thanks U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2, for his opposition to drilling in the Arctic refuge. There are some places that should be off limits to ecological destruction. Whether they are in Alaska or off the Jersey Shore, we need to defend them.

Doug O'Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey, Trenton

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