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Alaska's Other Maverick: The Mayor at the Top of the World
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| Contributor | particleman |
| Last Edited | particleman Jul 18, 2010 09:26am |
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| Category | Profile |
| Author | Bob Reiss |
| News Date | Sunday, July 18, 2010 03:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Edward Itta, 65, may be one of America’s most powerful mayors—but you’ve probably never heard of him. He governs the Wyoming-sized North Slope Borough of Alaska, a territory larger than 39 of our 50 states. However, his influence doesn’t come from the size of that area but from what lies beneath the land and its adjacent waters. Located above the Arctic Circle, the North Slope is home to some of the most remote and beautiful landscapes on earth, including the 19-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and just 7500 people. The majority of them are Inupiat Eskimos, including Itta.
Even though the North Slope depends on revenue from energy companies, its mayors have never mutely agreed to their wishes. In 2007, when Shell proposed an offshore-exploration program, North Slope lawyers and environmental groups filed suit in federal court. “Too much, too soon, too fast,” Itta says of Shell’s plan.
Even though Alaska’s U.S. Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat, and former Governor Sarah Palin oppose the President’s pause on offshore exploratory drilling in their state, Itta accepts it.
Itta refused to join native as well as environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, which sued to stop Shell’s latest plan. The suit charged that the U.S. government did not fully consider the environmental consequences before issuing a permit. In Itta’s view, “environmental groups do not represent our interests. They want to stop all drilling.”
For the mayor, the pressure of juggling competing interests comes to a head a few weeks after the Gulf spill began, when Shell President Marvin Odum flies in to Barrow for a meeting with Itta. While the two men have a friendly working relationship, before the Shell group arrives Itta says, “ I’m a long way from trusting them. I’ll work with them, but they try my patience.” |
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