Arctic Policy
Dealing with America’s Changing Arctic
The changing Arctic presents new opportunities for America and also new responsibilities to adapt to these changes. The loss of Arctic ice is opening new areas to oil and gas development, trans-polar shipping and tourism but it is also having severe impacts on coastal communities and residents.
Storms rage over ice-free waters that were once frozen solid and erode sections of the Alaska shoreline, undercutting villages like Shishmaref and Kivalina and sending homes toppling into the sea. Thawing permafrost is causing roads and foundations to heave and buckle. The University of Alaska estimates the cost of maintaining or replacing current public infrastructure affected by warming in Alaska may be as much as $6 billion.
The loss of sea ice is affecting marine mammals like the polar bear, walrus, and seals; ocean acidification is weakening the marine food chain; and warming water temperatures are changing the migration patterns of species of fish. The combined impacts are life-altering for Arctic residents who have depended on these species for their nutritional and cultural needs for thousands of years.
And when this global air conditioner is knocked off kilter, it accelerates climatic changes we are already witnessing around the globe that neither science nor our political systems can stop.
Alaska is at “ground-zero” of global climate change and in response, Senator Begich has introduced legislation designed to help Alaska and the nation adapt to new challenges and opportunities due to the diminishing polar ice pack and address the broad policy implications of an ice-diminishing Arctic on the diplomatic, scientific and national security fronts.
He calls it the “Inuvikput Package,” after the Inupiaq word for “the place where we live,” to dispel the idea the Arctic is a barren, frozen landscape.
This legislative package calls for more research to fulfill our responsibilities in the Arctic by understanding how to prevent and respond to oil spills in the Arctic, pay for this and other needed scientific research through an increase in the per barrel assessment into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, and sharing revenues from Arctic oil development with the State of Alaska and affected local communities, regional corporations and tribes.
Inuvikput Package
S. 203 :: The Responsible Arctic Energy Development Act of 2011 - Requires NOAA and other federal agencies, to direct research and take action to improve oil spill prevention, response, and recovery in Arctic waters. Requires the Coast Guard to assess and take action to reduce the risk of, and improve U.S. response to, a maritime disaster in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The bill also requests the National Research Council conduct an oil spill risk assessment and make recommendations that will enhance safety and lessen the potential adverse environmental impacts of industrial activities in Arctic waters.
S. 204 :: The Resources for Oil Spill Research and Prevention Act - Increases the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund financing rate by 3 cents a barrel for domestic crude oil and by 7 cents a barrel for any other crude oil; and expands the allowable uses of the Trust Fund to include costs incurred by the NOAA, the Coast Guard, and other federal agencies to maintain research, prevention, and response capabilities with respect to oil spills; costs to carry out environmental assessment studies; and grants to affected states, universities, and other entities for oil spill research.
S. 205 :: The Alaska Adjacent Zone Revenue Sharing Act - Requires the State of Alaska receive 37.5% of any bonus bid paid for leasing rights off Alaska and revenues including lease rental payments and royalty payments. It establishes an allocation scheme under which 20% of any state share goes directly to coastal political subdivisions, 33% to Regional Native Corporations Corporations, and 7% directly to tribes. The bill also requires oil produced from federal leases in Arctic waters to be transported to onshore facilities by pipeline.
Additionally, Senator Begich will reintroduce bills which were part of his original Inuvikput package in the 111th Congress and call for better coordinated science to understand the impacts of the changing climate and the unique heath needs of residents in the Arctic; assistance for communities to adapt to changes that affect their infrastructure and energy needs; a strengthened diplomatic presence before international councils and the needed investments to ensure the United States maintains a strong presence at the top of our globe.
In addition to this legislation, he supports the ratification of two international agreements to help Alaska adapt to the impacts of climate change and America maintain a strong presence in the Arctic:
The Law of the Sea treaty was negotiated in 1982 to settle disputes over national rights to offshore waters and resources but the U.S. is among a handful of nations - including Libya, Iran and North Korea - that have not ratified the agreement. This effectively denies our nation a seat at the table when decisions are made about such matters as extended rights to Arctic oil and gas reserves on the adjacent outer continental shelf.
He also supports ratification of the treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Adopted in 2001, the treaty regulates the use of dangerous chemicals such as PCBs, DDT and dioxins. Used elsewhere, these pollutants are carried north by wind and water currents where they accumulate in the Arctic ice and the fatty tissues of Arctic marine mammals and fish, staples of the local subsistence diet.
Videos
March 11, 2010, The Commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, agreed with Sen. Mark Begich that the Senate should move forward on ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
On August 3, 2009, Senator Mark Begich used his maiden speech on the Senate floor to recognize the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood and to recognize the critical role the Arctic will play in the nation's commerce, foreign policy, and energy independence over the next 50 years. During this speech, he introduced a legislative package of seven bills designed to plan and prepare for the challenges in America's Arctic.
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DC Staff Contact
Bob King
Legislative Assistant
(202) 224-3004
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DC Congressional Fellow
William Mowitt
NOAA Fellow
(202) 224-3004
