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Guest Commentary: July 16, 2001
Oil and Water Don't Mix
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur
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The House voted overwhelmingly to stop offshore drilling off the coast of Florida by a vote of 247 to 164. Seventy Republicans joined 177 Democrats in a rebuke to the White House drilling policy.
Nonetheless, Vice President Cheney claims that drilling can be conducted without environmental damage.
Where does the administration stop in its single-minded desire to appease the oil and gas special interests?
How many times do we have to send this message before the administration gets it? ...
The President and Vice President need to understand that the people of the Great Lakes region do not want drilling.
In my State, our Republican Governor is opposed to drilling in the Great Lakes. So are both our Republican Senators and our congressional delegation.
Lake Erie, Ohio's lake, is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and thus the most vulnerable to the administration's scheme. The Lake Erie shoreline, including the area in my congressional district, is a delicate ecosystem. Congressman Dingell and I are working on ways to protect it for generations into the future.
To expose that fragile ecosystem to oil and gas drilling makes no sense. It is reckless policy. It is irresponsible.
Our freshwater ecosystem is a powerful, competitive advantage for our economy and a priceless national and international resource that belongs to all the people, not to any special interest.
For hundreds of years, even before the Northwest Territory was open, the Great Lakes have defined an entire region of our continent and the world. In the region, we see the Great Lakes as precious jewels.
The administration sees another drilling platform. ...
Oil and water do not mix.
Note: This column has been adapted from a speech Rep. Kaptur delivered on the floor of the House, June 28, 2001.
 How to contact Rep. Marcy Kaptur (R-OH)
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