Mar 28 2001 7:07 PM EST
WASHINGTON, Mar 28, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa today announced the union's support for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for energy resource exploration.
"Working families are about to be caught between a recession and a deepening energy crisis," Hoffa said. "By tapping into petroleum resources in Alaska, we can create jobs and stabilize our economy by lessening our dependence on foreign oil."
Hoffa's remarks were made at a press conference on Capitol Hill supporting the inclusion of oil and gas leasing on the coastal plain of the ANWR in the National Energy Security Act of 2001. More than 735,000 new jobs would be created by the legislation. Teamsters in Alaska would benefit by the creation of more than 25,000 new jobs in maintenance and support of the project.
"American jobs and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive," Hoffa added. "Alaskan oil fields currently use the most environmentally sensitive technology in the world. Only a small part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be used, about 2000 acres -- roughly one-fifth the size of Washington's Dulles Airport."
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.5 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
CONTACT: Rob Black of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
202-624-6877, or Cell: 202-439-1895
URL: http://www.teamster.org http://www.prnewswire.com
(C) 2001 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.
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