LETTER: Rep. Costello Must Save Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Due to some apparent confusion over the nature of letters to the editor, please review the following note: This letter to the editor was submitted to Patch by a reader. Letters to the editor do not reflect the views of Patch or its employees and are not written by Patch reporters. Letters on a wide array of topics from viewpoints across the political spectrum that have local and regional importance are welcome. The letter below was submitted by Chester County's Mary Ann Mack.

Dear Editor,

On November 20 a group of Rep. Ryan Costello’s constituents joined the PennEnvironment organization to urge Rep. Costello to defend our environment against the latest slew of attacks. My topic of interest was the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which the Senate just voted to open up for drilling. While Rep. Costello has publicly defended the ANWR, he could not make any commitment as to how he would vote.

As I stated to Rep. Costello, “We need to put the economic issues aside and acknowledge that we need to move away from oil and embrace sustainable energy such as solar and wind. On so many fronts it is wrong: despoiling the landscape with a network of pipes that will leak in the future (witness the Keystone Pipeline), the effect on the wildlife, and the rights of the Native people residing there whose lifestyle will be disrupted.

As John McCain said: “This is one of the most pristine and beautiful parts of the world."

Let’s ensure Rep. Costello stands behind his public defense of ANWR. Send him a message to oppose any bill that would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Mack

Phoenixville

Image: herds of caribou on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska, courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, via AP