STATEMENT

Contact: Tracy Cullen
(202) 974-5282
Email: tcullen@socplas.org

SPI STATEMENT ON DOI’S “DRAFT PROPOSED 5-YEAR PLAN FOR OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 21, 2006) – On February 8, 2006 the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Minerals Management Service (MMS) released for comment a draft proposed five year plan that would open additional areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to natural gas exploration between the years 2007–2012. As drafted, the additional areas are Alaska's North Aleutian Basin, portions of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida panhandle, and a section of the Mid-Atlantic off of the Virginia coast.

William R. Carteaux, president of The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., issued the following statement:

“The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. and its member companies support the recent action by the Department of the Interior to address the skyrocketing price and limited availability of domestic natural gas supplies by expanding the size of the Outer Continental Shelf areas that would be available for exploration. However, because the draft proposed plan does not include the Atlantic seaboard and other areas currently off-limits to production, we view it as a positive first step, but not a solution, to the energy crisis faced by U.S. manufacturers and consumers.

“Access to affordable natural gas is a key component to the production of plastic products both as an energy source and as a feedstock. The lack of affordable gas has created a crisis for our industry and impacts include the loss of more than 200,000 jobs since 2002 and the collapse of many companies. The price of natural gas has soared 700 percent since 2002, and the 20 percent increase in material costs our industry has experienced over that time period coincides with the spike in energy prices.

“SPI urges the Bush Administration to work with industry to make this draft proposed plan a reality, and encourages Congress to take even more definitive action by supporting natural gas supply legislation (S. 2290) introduced last week and sponsored by Senators David Pryor (D-AR), John Warner (R-VA), George Allen (R-VA) and Jim Talent (R-MO).

“Additionally, SPI is pleased by the introduction of another piece of energy legislation (S. 2253) introduced recently by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). This bill, if enacted, would open the Section 181 area in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas leasing.”

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Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., is the trade association representing one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.3 million workers and provides nearly $345 billion in annual shipments.

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