John Hansen: “I find it is very interesting that on September 16, 1996, the President of the United States went to Arizona and…”

“I find it is very interesting that on September 16, 1996, the President of the United States went to Arizona and declared 1.7 million acres of monument in the State of Utah, and that people got up on this floor and all over America and said this is beautiful, this is a great gorgeous area. And the question the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) asked was, has anyone been there? No, they had not. Do you know how many millions and millions of acres in the West is nothing but sagebrush? Well, two-thirds of that was nothing but sagebrush. But no, we are going to tie that up, with the biggest deposit of low-sulfur coal there is that we know of in the world. I find it is interesting when everyone says how pristine this area is. Well, I have only been there twice. I do not think in my definition of pristine, it even comes close. But I think The Washington Post said it best. Fourteen years ago they made this statement. 'That part of ANWR is one of the bleakest, most remote places on this continent, and there is hardly any other where drilling would have less impact on the surrounding life in the world.' Then they make another statement. 'Even the most ardent people concede that, in the winter, with 70 below zero temperature, it is no paradise; however, it is no paradise in the summertime either.' But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I guess there is some beauty there. Those who have been there know better.”