Senator BUMPERS. Thank you very much. Mr. Robinson. STATEMENT OF CARLTON C. ROBINSON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, HIGHWAY USERS FEDERATION FOR SAFETY AND MOBILITY Mr. ROBINSON. Senator Bumpers, I'm Carlton Robinson, the Executive Vice President of the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility. As our statement indicates, we are a federation of those who use and supply highway transportation in this country. The federation has consistently supported such environmentally sound, domestic energy exploration and development as is proposed by Senate 1217 based on two very fundamental facts. One, the economy of the United States depends on efficient and reliable transportation of people and goods. And two, such transportation is absolutely dependent on petroleum and will remain so for the foreseeable future. If our population is going to continue to grow, if our jobs are going to continue to grow, if our economy and our standard of living are going to continue to grow, so then must transportation, and with it a suitable fuel supply. The economic shock resulting from the oil shortages of the 1970s must not be forgotten, particularly when as much as one-third of our current supplies are derived from foreign sources. Given the potential for oil discoveries under the coastal plain of ANWR, coupled with the anticipated declines in other domestic production, the lead time required for arctic oil exploration, we urge prompt congressional action to open one small part of the 18 and a half million acres of ANWR to sensible environmentally sound development. And Mr. Bumpers, I think maybe we have beaten our 1 o'clock deadline. [The prepared statement of Mr. Robinson follows:] I am Carlton C. Robinson, Executive Vice President of the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility, a long-standing coalition of businesses, industries and associations who support America's highway transportation system. Our membership consists of more than 400 companies and associations representing 27 industrial and commercial categories, who are the primary suppliers of highway transportation services and products as well as the major users of the nation's highways. The Federation has affiliated highway users groups in every state. The Highway Users Federation appreciates this opportunity to comment on S. 1217, The Arctic Coastal Plain Public Lands Leasing Act of 1987, which addresses an issue of great concern for Highway Users and, indeed all The Federation has consistently supported such environmentally sound domestic energy exploration and development as proposed in this legislation, based on two fundamental facts: (1) the economy of the United States depends on efficient and reliable transportation of people and goods; and (2) such transportation is absolutely 2 dependent on petroleum and will remain so for the forseeable future. Each year our society becomes more motor vehicle dependent. 1.8 trillion vehicle miles were traveled in 1985. By the year 2000, that total will reach 3 trillion. Demographic and economic shifts continue which have long term effects on national transportation needs. If the population is going to continue to grow, if jobs are going to continue to grow, if our economy and standard of living are going to continue to grow, then so must transportation, and with it, a suitable fuel source. Though the motoring public continues to enjoy adequate and competitively priced fuel supplies, the economic shock resulting from the oil shortages in the 1970's must not be forgotten; particularly when as much as 1/3 of current supplies are derived from foreign sources, and are therefore vulnerable to interruption or embargoes. Increased domestic supplies would protect the national economy from the damage which would be inflicted by any sudden reduction in the availability of imported oil. Given the potential for oil discoveries under the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), coupled with anticipated declines in other domestic |