Philip S. Dedig – 7/10/08

This page was last updated on July 10, 2008.

Don’t take the risk on offshore drilling; Philip S. Dedig; Beaver County Times; July 10, 2008.

Earlier this year Mr. Dedig supported the proposed federal gasoline tax holiday, Hillary Clinton for President, and complained about “business as usual” (“Business as usual in D.C.,” 6/17/08) in Washington, DC, regarding energy.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“I am opposed to offshore oil drilling on the Continental Shelf as a means to bring down gasoline prices.

“I oppose this drilling not for environmental reasons but because of concerns about security. If Islamic terrorists can bring down the World Trade Center, they can certainly destroy oil platforms located 70 to 200 miles off our coast.

“A major attack on these facilities and the subsequent oil spills could destroy our fisheries, which are a source of food, and cover our Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coast shores with oil residue.

“This is a matter of risk management. Would the oil derived from these wells be worth more than the risk of attacks on these wells and the devastation they would cause?”

[RWC] Nothing like letting fear drive your decisions, is there? Would Mr. Dedig feel more comfortable if we went even further and shut down all existing U.S. offshore platforms? And what about imports? After all, if al-Qaida could blow up the USS Cole, can’t they blow up crude oil and finished product ships in our fisheries?

Finally, does Mr. Dedig really believe our offshore platforms are undefended?

“The oil companies say they have to drill off shore, yet they have not explored or drilled on 80 percent of the oil leases they have purchased from the federal government. It would take them from five to 10 years to bring this oil to market.”

[RWC] I covered the not “drilled on 80 percent of the oil leases they have purchased” BS in my critique of a recent letter by William A. Alexander, a likely fellow traveler of Mr. Dedig.

“A lease on a drilling platform costs $650,000 a day, up from $125,000 a day seven years ago. How much drilling do you think these companies can afford? This would deplete their cash reserves rapidly.”

[RWC] Wow, Mr. Dedig is really getting desperate to stop offshore drilling!

“Alternative fuels and conservation are the answer to our oil problem, not offshore drilling.”

[RWC] Unless I’m missing something, isn’t Mr. Dedig’s position the same as the “business as usual” Democrats in DC Mr. Dedig complained about three weeks ago?