'ALL-ALASKA GASLINE' PETITIONERS REACH HALFWAY POINT OF '02 EFFORT

Tommy Wells/Managing Editor
THE VALDEZ STAR
Nov. 17, 2001

The Citizens' Initiative for the All-Alaska Gasline has reached the halfway mark in its quest to make Valdez the terminus for a proposed natural gas pipeline from the North Slope. Workers attempting to collect enough signatures to have the initiative placed on next year's ballot said they have collected more than 53 percent of the names needed.

CIAAG chairman Scott Heyworth said petition workers had accumulated more than 20,000 of the 37,500 signatures they need to have the initiative placed in front of the state's voters next November. He said the group has until Jan. 14, 2002, to gather the remaining 17,000 names. Legally, the group must collect 28,700 valid registered signatures to have the measure placed on the ballot.

"This has been a fantastic response remembering that we missed the State Fair and have been working in winter conditions," said Heyworth, who originally began gathering signatures on Sept. 15 after appearing in front of the Valdez City Council and asked for its backing. "Alaskans want their gas shipped through Alaska and not Canada."

"Voters definitely know which route benefits Alaskans instead of special interests," he said. "Not surprisingly, many APOC reports show exactly why some politicians must support the Canadian route instead of standing up for Alaskan citizens and our state constitution."

Heyworth said the CIAAG could be a deadly instrument to some politicians in the coming months. He said Alaskan voters will remember if their representatives support the measure or favortaking Alaska's natural gas through Canada.

"A lot of politicians are going to be defeated statewide next November because of their lack of support for the All-Alaskan, All-American Gasline route to Valdez" Heyworth predicted. "This will be the number one statewide issue in next year's election."

Several politicians agreed with Heyworth that the gas situation would be crucial in the future.

The Joint Committee on Natural Gas Pipelines, chaired by Sen. John Torgerson of Kasilof wrapped up two days of hearings in Kenai last week. The committee's ultimate decision was a new natural gas supply would be vital for Alaskans in the future.

"Natural gas will run out in Cook Inlet, and we need more to come here from different areas," Torgerson told reporters. "All agree that if there are no changes, and we go full speed ahead, by 2015 we'll be dry."

Committee member Rep. Mike Chenault agreed, saying new reserves would be needed within the next 20 years. Chenault and Torgerson said the solution to the problem is a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay.

"And the sooner the better," Torgerson said. "We can't go into the future without a plan."

A gas pipeline from the North Slope to Nikiski is not the front-runner in the pipeline scramble, but a spur line from either an Alaska Highway or Prudhoe to Valdez route could be possible.

Heyworth, said the all-Alaska natural gas pipeline, would do several things, including provide the state with another natural gas source and countless job opportunities.

"(The All-Alaska route) is the gas line project Alaskans want to see," Heyworth said.

Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer certified the petition language on Sept. 4. Should the initiative be placed on the ballot it would read: "This bill would create the Alaska Natural Gas Authority as a public corporation of the state. The Authority would acquire and condition North Slope natural gas, and construct a pipeline to transport the gas. The Authority's powers would include buying property or taking it by eminent domain, and to issue state tax-exempt revenue bonds. The gasline route would be from Prudhoe Bay to tidewater on Prince William Sound and the spur line from Glennallen to the South-central gas distribution grid. The Authority would operate and maintain the gas pipeline, ship the gas, and market the gas. Should this Initiative become law?"

The State of Alaska issued 500 booklets to the Initiative group on Sept. 13. The Initiative group has distributed 355 booklets statewide so far and petitioners have returned 142 books full of signatures. The booklets are stored in a local safety deposit box for security reasons.

"It's fairly clear we will end up with well over 50,000 registered voter signatures."

The group has 50 petitioners gathering signatures.

The Citizens Group recently commissioned Ivan Moore Research (find the attached poll results in their entirety) to conduct a Statewide poll asking voters how they would vote on the Initiative language as it would appear on the ballot. "The results are very comfortable. Anchorage, Kenai, Mat-Su, Southeast and Valdez are all at 60 percent favorability," Heyworth said.