Remarks prepared for delivery
The Honorable Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
Minerals Management Service 3^rd Annual Industry Awards Ceremony
Westin Galleria, Houston, TX
April 4, 2001

Thank you Tom Kitsos for that warm introduction. I'm glad you invited me to the Mineral Management Service's 3^rd Annual awards ceremony. I'm honored to be the first Interior Secretary to attend this event.

Last weekend, I was in Alaska on a bipartisan fact-finding mission. We flew nearly 8,000 miles. We visited eight towns and villages in three days. I've never had a warmer welcome.

The weather? At one point the wind chill was 78 degrees below zero. Needless to say, it was an easy choice to take my next fact-finding mission to Houston. And my next trip to Alaska will be in the summer.

In the mean time, the facts don't look good. In the next 20 years, according to calculations by the Energy Information Administration, our nation's demand for oil is expected to jump one-third. But as consumption swells, U.S. production continues to sink. We now produce nearly 40 percent less oil than we did in 1970 - losing over four million barrels each day.

And unless policies are changed, production will fall further - to just over five million barrels per day by 2020 - down from a high of 9.4 million each day 30 years ago. Failure to meet this challenge may harm our prosperity, damage our national security, and may alter the way we live our daily lives.

That's why I want to learn more about what you're doing to make the environment safer and the economy stronger - with a steady supply of domestic energy sources.

Back in the Beltway, it's almost like the election never ended: every time we turn on the TV, there's another 30-second political ad talking about the energy and environmental debate. And, really, all sides have three things in common - although they probably won't admit it in public:

They all want to protect our environment. They all want something that has been missing for far too long in this nation - a long term energy policy. And they all want to keep our economy moving. So, there's common ground. But finding the facts isn't easy - especially in Washington.

That's why I went to Alaska. That's why I'm here today.

In Alaska, I saw new technologies that enable oil and natural gas to be produced with minimal impact on our environment and wildlife. For example, companies moved pipelines to protect caribou habitats. With new horizontal drilling, companies make one hole and tap reserves up to seven miles away - without disturbing wildlife or the land they depend on.

I also saw roads build of ice that melt away in the spring to protect the permafrost from harm.

In this room, there are countless other examples of how technology and environmental stewardship are working together. Today, we want to honor you - and we want to learn from you. There are endless examples, but I can only mention only a few.

Kerr-McGee Oil and Gas is case in point. Last year, more than 90 Kerr-McGee facilities were visited by the MMS inspectors - and not a single safety penalty or violation was found. And I tell you - we looked and we looked and we looked and we looked and we looked!

Another one of today's finalists, Samedan Oil, has a cutting edge safety and environmental training program. All the company's offshore personnel must complete it. This training course has brought about an outstanding safety record on the company's 250 Gulf of Mexico wells.

There are nearly two thousand companies that pay royalties, but I'll single out just one out today: Chevron. They're literally a landlord's best friend - and good corporate citizens. They have the highest overall rating for fiscal responsibility and integrity.

Energy companies also help clean up and protect our environment. Since 1982, you've paid more than $110 billion in royalties to the government. Just last year, nearly $8 billion was paid. This is one of the federal government's largest sources of non tax revenue. Over a quarter of the money goes into special purpose funds, including one of President Bush's top priorities: the Land and Water Conservation Fund. That helps fund wildlife refuges that protect threatened and endangered species now - and for future generations.

The technical achievements of your industry rival those of the space industry. You blur the distinction between ships and platforms. You teach us that we must think of wells as both horizontal and vertical. And you remind us that the ocean is possibly our greatest - and least explored - frontier.

This all brings me back to the first part of our discussion: How can we find common ground. How can we have a dynamic economy - and protect our environment?

First, we have to shine a giant spotlight on the programs produced by today's nominees. We must make them common in every segment of the energy industry. Secondly, from the tundra to the tropics - we must build on new technologies to ensure our national treasures are safe. Over time, these technologies and programs will earn the respect and trust of those who doubt.

Therefore, to protect the industry and our environment, we must join together and maintain high standards. I ask for your help to aggressively enforce our safety and pollution prevention requirements. Those in the industry who seek short-term gains at the expense of our environment should immediately seek other opportunities or face quick punishment.

Finally, to find common ground, we must overcome a real problem in Washington, D.C. today - too often groups are pitted against each other. Too often political conversation becomes bitter and divisive. Too often the unintended casualties of this culture of conflict are the economy we all depend on and the very creatures and places that both sides are seeking to defend.

As Interior Secretary, I'll work to change the tone in which we talk about conserving and protecting our environment. I'll foster a new culture of communication, cooperation, a culture of consultation - all to serve the cause of conservation. President Bush campaigned on changing the tone in Washington. And he's made great strides in returning civility to politics. People are at least starting to disagree - without being disagreeable.

Today, let's form a partnership. We can end the gridlock that stops finding that common ground. Let's work together to take this message of new technologies, effective programs, less conflict and better enforcement to every American.

Let's form a partnership: To protect our environment; to grow our economy; and, to spare the American people from an uncertain economic future.

You are the energy world's pacesetters. You are the stewards of our nation's limited energy supply. You ensure that safety and standards are followed. And you provide the energy we need today - and the energy we'll need tomorrow.

It's great to be here today. And I thank you, for your commitment to protecting our environment. And for your interest in partnerships that'll keep our economy growing and dynamic. No other Secretary of Interior has ever attended this event. I'm honored to be the first, and I predict it won't be my last. Thank you.

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