275 



I do not laiow that anyone lias proposed to drill. To my knowledge, 

 no portion of American industry lias to date said, "we want to drill 

 here on the Eastern Shore." But I think the time has come when some 

 people had better start looking at their hole card. They have said we 

 cannot build our Alaska pipeline ; they have said they cannot drill on 

 the Louisiana offshore lands ; and now we have an independent study 

 of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, which is not e\'en covered by 

 this bill. This bill covers the territorial seas ; it does not cover the Outer 

 Continental Shelf. But this says someone has proposed that they ought 

 to examine the feasibility of the Outer Continental Shelf of the 

 Atlantic Coast to determine whether there is any energy there. 



I can miderstand the fears that have come about as a result of the 

 accidents off of California, and the fears of the people in Louisiana; 

 but somewhere they have got to make up their minds that we have to 

 find energy, American energy to meet American needs. This seems to 

 me to be going in the wrong direction, because it adds to the functions 

 of the Administrator of the EPA, it adds to the Council on Environ- 

 mental Quality ,it adds to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- 

 ministration, and it adds to the existing duties to the Secretary of the 

 Interior, and presumes every one of them are prejudiced. I camiot buy 

 that at all. I cannot buy that they are prejudiced. 



If there is some way, I say respectfully to the Senator from Kliode 

 Island, that we can incorporate this into the framework of the Na- 

 tional Academy of Sciences so that they can conduct an investigation 

 of the total potential of the Outer Continental Shelf in the Atlantic, 

 and not just look at the hazards attendant to the drilling, I will not 

 object. I tliinlv they ought to be looking into the total concept of the 

 Outer Continental Shelf. This is a negative thing, as far as I can see. 

 I say that most respectfully to the Senator from Rhode Island. 



Mr. Pell. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield there, I thought 

 it was the wish of the Senator from Alaska and those who share his 

 views that we delete the phrase in the amendment "as well as alterna- 

 tives to such drilling in meeting the Nation's energy needs," because 

 the original amendment wliich I offered did just what the Senator has 

 suggested. It was wider in scope, however, I thought it was disagree- 

 able to him. If he would prefer that we widen it, I would withdraw 

 my modification. 



Mr. Stevens. I thank the Senator for his suggestion. However, that 

 is not my point. It was suggested, I believe, by members of the Interior 

 and Insular Affairs Committee. I understand what they are saying, 

 because if we get into those alternatives, this study is not going to be 

 conducted solely off the Atlantic coast but also off the Pacific coast, off 

 the gulf coast, and everywhere else. 



I am saying that if a Senator wants the National Academy of Sci- 

 ences to undertake the invesitigation of the environment, including the 

 environmental problems related to the concept of offshore drilling on 

 the Outer Continental Shelf, I should think the National Academy of 

 Sciences also ought to be in the position of telling us if there is any 

 way to mitigate the hazards that might come about, and if there is any 

 way to drill safely in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Why 

 should we adopt an amendment which presumes that it could not be 

 done without creating a hazard to the Atlantic Outer Continental 

 Shelf? 



