Arkansas Congressional Democrats to President: Make Energy Independence A National Priority

Jacksonville, Ark. – Arkansas' Democratic members of Congress today called on President Bush to make America's energy independence from foreign sources of energy a national priority.

At the Two Pines Landfill Gas Conversion Plant in Jacksonville, U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, along with U.S. Representatives Marion Berry and Vic Snyder urged President Bush to put a greater focus on the development of renewable sources of energy here at home.

In a letter written to the President and sent today signed by all five Democratic members of Congress in Arkansas, the officials encouraged the President to move more urgently towards the development of domestic, renewable sources of energy to protect our nation's national security.

The letter noted that rapidly rising energy costs threaten to destabilize the U.S. economy and that as the President is preparing his budget for the approaching year he should provide adequate funding for programs already in existence to stimulate the biofuels industry. In addition, the Arkansas Democrats' letter recommends that the President appoint a current member of his staff to oversee the administration of these programs.

At today's press conference, the Arkansas Members of Congress were joined by three state biofuels experts who discussed how the biofuels industry can lead the U.S. towards greater energy independence. The three experts also discussed the importance of federal tax incentives that can help make the development of new, clean burning biofuels more affordable.

The state of Arkansas, rich in natural resources, is critically positioned to become a major supplier of biofuels. In addition to its contributions to energy independence through its numerous agriculture resources, Arkansas is also well poised to serve as a national model for energy independence.

The site of today's press conference was the Two Pine Landfill, a landfill gas conversion plant in Jacksonville owned by Waste Management, Inc. Two Pines Landfill will soon be supplying energy to more than 2,00 homes in North Little Rock by capturing hazardous gasses emitted from the landfill and converting them into energy. Representatives of Waste Management were also on hand to explain the landfill gas conversion process.