Senate sides with Greens over Bush's arctic drilling plans

The US Senate yesterday sided with environmentalists over the Bush administration’s controversial plans to open up some of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration.

Eight Republicans broke ranks with the president, probably ending for now the dream of many Alaskans and Washington conservatives that the protected wilderness could be opened for development.

The issue has pitted Democrats and environmentalists against Republicans and petroleum interests for more than a decade.

Under Senate rules, Republicans needed 60 votes to win. But they could not even get a majority, and the motion failed 46 to 54.

Senator Frank Murkowski of Alaska, the measure’s chief sponsor, was disappointed by the outcome of the vote.

‘‘What was proved today is we need more Republicans in the United States Senate,’’ he said afterwards. ‘‘Sooner or later, this nation is going to open up ANWR,’’ he said.

US President George Bush made oil and gas exploration in the refuge the central element of his energy policy in his campaign two years ago and in his proposals as president.

In a statement last month, the White House said the area in Alaska was ‘‘by far the largest untapped source of domestic petroleum potential.’’

Oil and gas there, the statement continued, ‘‘would equal nearly 40 years of imports from Iraq.’’ Some experts dispute those figures.

Ari Fleischer, Bush’s spokesman, said the Senate ‘‘missed an opportunity to lead America to greater energy independence.

The president will continue to fight for the tens of thousands of jobs that are created by opening ANWR, as well as, more importantly, for the need for America to be able to achieve more energy independence that would result from opening ANWR.’’

But Democrats and environmentalists were gleeful.

‘‘We have sent this misguided plan to the refinery,’’ Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman told the New York Times.

The 1.5 million acre Arctic wildlife area was established by President Dwight D Eisenhower in 1960.

Government geologists have estimated that six billion to 12 billion barrels of oil could probably be produced there, depending on the price. The US uses about seven billion barrels of oil a year, nearly two-thirds of it imported.