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Write a Letter to the Editor
submit your 225 word letter to the Anchorage Daily News via e-mail letter@adn.com, or fax them to 258-2157, attn: letters to the editor.

Contact the Governor
Governor Palin's Anchorage office may be reached at 269-7450, or e-mail her at sarah.palin@alaska.gov
You can also visit the state website at www.alaska.gov

Contact your
Congressional Delegation
Congressman Don Young,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-5978
don.young@mail.house.gov

Senator Lisa Murkowski,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-3735,
EMAIL: Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Senator Mark Begich,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-5915
EMAIL: Sen. Mark Begich

June 12, 2009

Gas Line Update – Haul Road Trip – Airport Inquiry

I.  Gas Line Update

Yesterday’s news that TransCanada Alaska and ExxonMobil had reached an agreement to work together to move the AGIA gas pipeline forward was an important development. While a lot of Alaskans rightly view Exxon’s actions with deep skepticism, many public officials have been asking for this kind of progress. Exxon is the majority owner of natural gas reserves on the North Slope, and their commitment to ship gas will be crucial to any pipeline. Having Exxon working on the project with TransCanada is a form of ‘buy-in’ that is a step in the right direction.

Today I spent an hour with Tom Roberts, an attorney who has been representing TransCanada for many years. We went over some of the details of the new working relationship between TC Alaska and Exxon. One very important aspect of this arrangement is that it in no way changes the laws regarding AGIA, and it does not change the obligations that TC Alaska has under its AGIA license. 

For more details on this development, visit this website, where many of the documents can be found here.

II.  Haul Road Trip

Speaking of the gas line, last week I had the opportunity to go on a quick field trip with the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Several of my colleagues and I flew from Anchorage to Prudhoe Bay, at which point we each hopped into an 18-wheeler truck that took us down the Haul Road over Atigun Pass. Despite having worked on the Slope for eight years, I’ve never driven on the Haul Road before. The purpose of the trip was to let us see the condition of the road, and to give us an idea of the improvements that will be necessary when it comes time to begin construction of the gas line.

“Custer” and I before we hit the road

Besides having these mechanical issues in mind, I really enjoyed seeing that amazing landscape. We drove across the tundra, passing caribou herds and shuttered pump stations, before flying back to Anchorage. It was a long, memorable day on the road.

Heading down the Haul Road

As I looked at the mountains and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that ran alongside it, I reflected on the monumental work we have in front of us as our state works toward building the gasline.

The mountains, the road, the pipeline

III.             Airport Inquiry

At the most recent Turnagain Community Council, I heard several complaints about the airport.  In response, I told the council that I would poll the district, to see what level of interest there might be in attending a legislative hearing on that subject.  What do you think?  Would you attend a hearing to vent about the airport?  Let me know.

As usual, please don’t hesitate to call with questions and concerns.

Sincerely,

Hollis French
Alaska State Senator
District M - Anchorage