The challenge from Bill Walker, an attorney and former Valdez mayor, portrays Parnell as too cozy with the companies leading the pipeline project, one of two competing plans to ship natural gas through Canada.
Walker said in a statement today that Parnell “has taken the position that the results of the open season, while available to the governor on July 31, will not become public until after the election in November.”
Walker, also project manager for the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, which backs distinctly separate pipeline plans, called that secrecy unjustified and challenged Parnell’s May decision to protect a tax system opponents say could provide a multibillion-dollar giveaway to energy companies if the huge pipeline is built.
Walker’s letter seeks access to “all documents submitted to TransCanada ... or your administration, by all bidders in the open season” and to information relevant to Parnell's April veto of a bill that sought to “decouple” oil and gas taxes.
“Over $100 million of public funds has already gone into the governor's sham process, and the public has the right to know the results,” Walker said in a statement accompanying the letter. “Our governor should not keep Alaskans in the dark while secretly negotiating with the industry for a gasline into Canada. This is Alaska's resource and our future.”
The TransCanada-led firm, dubbed the Alaska Pipeline Project and involving participant Exxon Mobil, is working with the state government and started formally accepting proposals from natural gas companies in April. The APP project estimates construction of the 1,700-mile pipeline system will run $32 billion and $41 billion.
A competing “Denali” project from ConocoPhillips and BP, will start its open season later this summer. Denali’s estimate splits the difference at $35 billion.
Contact staff writer Christopher Eshleman at 459-7582.
We have a few billion dollars at stake with any pipeline project, in-state or trans canadian, it doesn't matter which, just a few billion dollars. We need many billions of dollars.
We have Trillions of Tons of Coal, at 3 dollars per ton royalty equates to 9 trillion state dollars over the long haul.
We have hundreds of Billions of Tons of Limestone. At any given royalty equates to a Trillion dollars or more to the State of Alaska.
We have hundreds of Billions of Tons of Iron Ore. At a royalty of 10 dollars per ton, again we are talking about Trillions of Dollars to the State.
But we can't get these items where they need to be with any pipeline. WE NEED A RAILROAD!
Furthermore, with a railroad we can haul natural gas to both in state, and out of state markets in higher quantities and for less shipping dollars per unit than any of the pipelines. And we can do so simultaneously with ALL of these other uses.
Not to mention, intermodal freight from Atlantic to Pacific Ports. Tourism. Lower cost of goods for all Alaskans. Quicker troop movement in case of War.
And to top all this off. We can manufacture both Steel and Cement Simultaneously in the same plant by burning our coal and using co-heat methods and the limestone in the cement uses the excess CO2 and thus sequesters it and reduces greenhouse emissions in the process. And we can use the now mostly empty Trans Alaskan Pipeline to move upgraded bitumen in the form of Synthetic Crude Oil to tankers in Valdez.
There is more info at www.alcanrr.com than I can put on this post. But you get the picture. We need to transport more than just oil and Gas. We need a railroad.
Dan Apted
952-1903
dan@alcanrr.com
Bill Walker is the only candidate for governor who truly understands the importance of keeping Alaska's gas-condensates in-state as a heritage resource for Alaskans sustainable future. Propane, ethane, butane - and helium...
Alaska only has a big surplus of methane suitable for export.
Leveraging the propane as a logistic construction fuel will save billions on the construction of the rest of Alaska's gas-export infrastructure.
A little 6" polypipe LPG-propane fiberoptic&gas pipeline is the best first gasline to build from N-slope to railbelt.. this will supply clean cheap fuel and communications to the construction camps..
..Parents, get ready to send your kids to camp !!
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/kk209/DistantThunderbolt/
Oldowl, Twain- Your assertions must to be respectfully challenged:
It is a MYTH that the bullet line does us any good. The current design of the bullet line bypasses Fairbanks. It does not provide us affordable energy or Alaska with new revenue. The population served by the voter's All Alaska Gasline provides new revenue, the lowest cost gas, and Alaska with new revenue and a bigger Permanent Fund. Best of all it takes care of the greatest number of Alaskans.
It is worth discussing where the candidates for governor stand:
Berkowitz has not supported the voter's mandate. He had his chance when he was in the legislature (and told us what a great guy Pete- I am a convicted felon- Kott is).
French and Parnell also do not support the will of the people- favoring AGIA. AGIA does not deliver gas for at least ten years, and will cost us the value of the Permanent Fund. Some deal that is. Worse- it takes Alaska gas to the Tar Sands- the MOST destructive development ANYWHERE in North America. Why would ANY rational Democrat support this? Don't the D's care about the environment?
Samules also does not agree with the voters (but wants our votes) and favors the bullet line that bypasses Fairbanks, does not provide affordable gas or new revenue.
Then there is Bill Walker who stands with the voters and insists that we build a line that does provide the lowest cost energy and new revenue. And guess what? The All Alaska line doe snot bypass Fairbanks.
http://www.tarsandswatch.org/
1) There is a line already researched that would tie into the main line at Glenallen that connects to the existing Anchorage gas network that extends all the way to Kenai.
2) The gasline corridor is already approved and has an existing Eviromental Impact Study. To obtain the approvals that this route already has would take eight years for any other route.
If decisions have not been made, then why is the Parks Highway area south of Fairbanks being surveyed for the pipeline by the DNR? There is a lot they do that the public doesn't know about and usually the decisions have been made years ago. Is this a feasibility study or has that been done before?
It'd also be nice to see how much this state's "public servants" have wrapped up in personal investments in these so called projects.
What I'd also like to know is... how the republican challenger is any different from any other politician in this state, or anywhere else? This is a great campaign move, but give me a break. Mr. Walker, if in office, will become nothing more than another Big Oil beotch.
The only debate worth having is the one that addresses the fact that Alaska is rapidly approaching a huge financial cliff when the oil runs out. Until I hear a worthy alterative, I will back Bill Walker's All-Alaska gasline plan to reduce our very high energy cost and replace the rapidly disapearing oil income.
Walker is exactly correct. Parnell is a former oil company lobbyist trying to give away the near value of the Permanent Fund to build a gasline into Canada. That's the effect of his veto of SB305- your money going to the most profitable multinational corporations on the planet.
Walker is the only guy running that agrees with 138,000 Alaska voters who mandated that the All Alaska Gasline be built in a free and fair election in 2002.
If the voter's instructions had been followed Fairbanks would have clean air and affordable energy TODAY. Instead of paying $6,000 to $8,000 dollars per winter to heat with fuel oil, we'd be paying about $1,300 per winter with natural gas. That's worth about five extra dividends- tax free.
And our air would be dramatically cleaner.
And we'd have more money flowing into the Permanent Fund from the royalty portion of the gas sales to a large diameter gasline.
And our military would have clean affordable energy, too.
No one has a better plan that Walker. If so- let's hear it.
Don't trust any of them!
Perhaps someone could ask this question for me. I did happen by the George C. Thomas Memorial Library the day he had his Great Weenie Roast, but he was on the air with Eric Cartman at the time. Walker keeps talking about his experience as mayor of Valdisease. If I'm not mistaken, and I spaced it when I had the opportunity to research this, when Walker was mayor, Valdisease was a second-class city. That means that Walker was chosen to be mayor by his fellow members of the city council, and not by the city's electorate. Does anyone think it may be necessary or helpful to clarify this?
I remember his comment from several years ago when he was mayor.
As for Parnell raiding the pf, he is suspect from the 1999 the raid the PF ballot prop campaign.
Everyone must pay attention to who they vote for re raiding the PF issue.
Politicians are known to flip faster than a tossed pan cake and as a rule can't be trusted after smelling the scent of green from a dollar bill.
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