Arctic Imperative Summit

Arctic Imperative Summit

Delivered by Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell | State of Alaska | August 24, 2012

Anchorage, AK (As delivered, edited for clarity) --

The Honorable Mead Treadwell,  Lt. Governor, State of Alaska: On behalf of the State of Alaska and Governor Sean Parnell, I’d like to thank Alice Rogoff and Alaska Dispatch News for convening this 2nd annual Arctic Imperative Summit, and to thank you all for your participation.

Gathered here are some of the most active players in Arctic geopolitics: President Grimsson of Iceland, it’s an honor to have you here. We’re all very excited about today’s IcelandAir announcement of direct passenger service from Anchorage to Rejkjavic. Together, we worked very hard for that. Senators Murkowski and Begich, Secretary Baker, Secretary Spring, Secretary Hayes, Secretary Nides: Alaska is delighted to host you, and to get your feedback on the Arctic imperatives, namely, what are our development priorities; how do we pursue them responsibly; and how do we accomplish them in cooperation?

Those questions – and the answers to those questions – will define the shape of Arctic development for years to come.

So what’s new in the Arctic since last year’s Arctic Imperative? From my perspective, so much has developed. Last September I got to hear Vladimir Putin announce that Russia is building nine new icebreakers, and intends to make the Northeast Passage as important to global commerce as the Suez Canal. That was certainly illuminating. I visited China last year, and learned that they, too, have Arctic ambitions – and an icebreaker to prove it. This past winter, we coordinated with the Russians to allow its tanker the Renda, accompanied by the Coast Guard’s Healy, to deliver fuel to Nome after the village was iced in by a fall storm.

Last spring I attended the christening of Shell’s new icebreaker, the Aiviq, before it left port in Louisiana. In the meanwhile, it’s made its way to Alaska waters and Shell is still anticipating an exploratory well this season. With regard to improving our outdated, statewide maps, the Department of Interior invited me to be a part of an executive committee in June to discuss funding strategies, and the NOAA hydrographic committee met in Anchorage in May to discuss mapping priorities for our increasingly accessible waterways. This is all very good news for the shipping industry, as it ramps up activity and contingency planning through Automatic Identification System implementation, and as the Arctic Council negotiates an oil spill agreement among its members.

All this activity reminds me of a New York Times article titled, “Arctic Shipping gets Boring.” The reporter states that such progress “marks the slow normalization of seasonal use of the Arctic Ocean as an intercontinental trade route.” Boring shipping is fine with us. That means Arctic routes have become commonplace. That’s what we’re here for.

So that’s the news – now for some brief commentary. After considering the significance of the Arctic and the pace of its development, ask yourselves: How do we educate the world to this opportunity without sounding like we want to tear the place up?

I accepted an interview with an environmental publication several weeks ago, and they were curious about the development they’ve been hearing about in the Arctic. They wanted to know if we’re doing it responsibly. They asked, “How do you reconcile your support for science in policy-making and recognition of climate-change’s adverse consequences, on the one hand, and your support for a major expansion of offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean, on the other?”

It was a great question, and I told them that a healthy economy was essential to a healthy environment. I told them that keeping the TransAlaska pipeline full was one of the most pressing environmental issues facing our state, because the income that comes from oil in the state pays for clean water and sanitation. I said that oil is still the best transportation fuel – that there really is no alternative likely to power the cars trucks, planes and ships that we depend on. And I said that we should always be looking for improved technology to limit the impacts of the energy we use.

The other most pressing environmental issue, I said, is how to make sure that the pace of Arctic development matches the pace of contingency planning to prevent environmental disaster. The commodities now being shipped through the Arctic Ocean and Bering Strait include crude oil, aviation fuel, gas condensate, liquefied natural gas and iron ore. And this is a commons where we don’t have a way to insist on environmental protection in the same way that we would on shipping activity in internal U.S. waters. We don’t have the capability to require itinerant vessels, for example, to be part of oil-spill response organizations.

Another major environmental and human issue our state is facing is the low return of salmon to our major fisheries. Governor Parnell has urged Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank to declare fishery disasters for the Chinook salmon fisheries on the Yukon, Kuskokwim and Cook Inlet areas. He has created a top-level team of fisheries scientists to conduct a systematic analysis and provide more data about why Alaska is experiencing low returns of Chinook salmon. Alaska is looked to as the model for the most science-based, robust fisheries management, and we want to keep it that way.

Finally, many of you may be aware of the debate Alaska is having on implementing a coastal zone management program. There is a debate over the rules – but no lack of commitment on either side to protect the environment. I don’t want the world to think that because we talk about bridges over a river, open mines and icebreakers, that we don’t put first sustainability and resilience for the environment – because we do. We have the opportunity to continue to set the standard for responsible development.

The Arctic is one of the most resource-rich places in the world. Last week I got to honor Red Dog Mine with the Robert O. Anderson award for their responsible industry development. I’m very proud that Alaska has been a leader in setting such standards – from our renewable fisheries to sustainable energy to resource development.

With responsible development foremost in our minds, what is our vision – what are our priorities – for an accessible Arctic? We want to see our nation ready for an accessible Arctic. That means better cooperation with our Arctic neighbors and better Arctic infrastructure, to include icebreakers and scientific observation. We want to see our state ready to recognize the opportunities that accessibility provides, especially in the energy and tourism industries as well as an increased military presence. We want real access – physical, legal and intellectual – to our resources.

We are all part of a caucus that advocates for resources – not just rules – and seeks clear business plans, certainty in the permitting process, and confidence in a return on their investment. We’re looking for $100 billion in investment to double our oil production. Toward that end, I want to welcome our investors once more. From ports to pipelines, from airships to icebreakers – pick your project. We have so many places for you to invest.

I want to close by reiterating how valuable it is that all of you – investors, governments, advocates, protectors and residents – have come together here to help us get to the right solutions. We are all stakeholders, We’ve all invested ourselves in this place in some way. Thank you all for your presence, your participation, and your optimism for an accessible and active Arctic.