For more information: Chris Wilhite (512) 472-9094

At a time when Americans need their parks more than ever, Bush administration has approved a third drilling site on Padre Island National
Seashore. The permit, announced today by the National Park Service, will allow BNP Petroleum to drive 40 trucks per day to haul heavy equipment to the drill site, about 7 miles south of Park Road 22.

"These drilling permits are the fruits of an administration that would rather spoil America's natural heritage than protect our national parks and invest in renewable resources," said Chris Wilhite organizer for the Sierra Club. "Padre Island is the longest undeveloped barrier beach in the world and a crown jewel of the National Parks System. It deserves the most diligent protection, not encouragement to turn it into another gas patch."

"Turning the last, longest, undeveloped beach in the nation into a gas drilling highway doesn't make sense for anyone but BNP Petroleum. It makes no sense whatsoever for the Park visitors, most local businesses, jobs, the environment, or the wildlife. Why would the Bush administration do anything other than protect the Park?"

Drilling a single well on Padre Island means over 200 trips by heavy equipment every week, up and down the beach within feet of family vacationers, surf-fishers, and swimmers who come here for the rare opportunity to enjoy a wild and natural setting.

"There is only enough gas under the park to provide one day's worth of fuel for America," says Karen Ascot, Chair of the Sierra Club Austin Group. "It's simply not worth a drop in the bucket to turn Padre Island into an oil and gas patch. There's a better way."

Padre Island National Seashore brings an estimated (according to the National Parks Service's own statistics) $39 million into the local economy every year <http://www.prr.msu.edu/yayen/NPS/ NPSSelect.cfm>. An estimated 60% to 70% of the income generated by BNP's drilling will, however, leave the country and go straight to the BNP's foreign investors in Asia and Australia <http://www.themonitor.com/NewsPub/News/Stories/2002/04/01/101772144927.shtml> .

"Protecting Padre from oil and gas drilling is good for the local economy, it's good for the endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle and other marine wildlife, and it's good for the citizens of Texas. This permit for a third drilling site on Padre underscores the urgent need for a federal buyout of mineral rights on Padre Island National Seashore," said Wilhite. "Why is the Bush administration allowing our pristine island paradise to be desecrated by foreign investors? There's a better way to strengthen the local economy and protect our national seashore for all Americans: stop the drilling. The drilling can be stopped by a federal buyout of the gas rights under Padre. The Bush administration bought the gas rights on Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. The President can do the same for the natural heritage of his own home state. It's just the right thing to do."

Last year, President Bush supported a $120 million dollar federal buyout for the drilling rights under Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. The Sierra Club and other environmental organizations praised the President's decision regarding the Florida buyout.

The decision states on the one hand that there will be no significant impacts but admits that a spill is possible. Now that BNP has approval, drilling can begin any day. Sierra Club urges all Americans to become involved in the campaign to stop the drilling on Padre, for our families and our future.

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