City Council moves to protect wildlife refuge.

A motion formally stating the city's opposition to new oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is wending its way through the Los Angeles City Council.

The motion, introduced by Councilman Michael Woo in July, is in response to the revision in the National Energy Security Act of 1991 that would allow the opening up of 13,000 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska's North Slope for oil drilling.

The National Energy Security Act was introduced on the U.S. Senate floor in June and the Senate debated last week whether to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

Though the City Council has no legislative power over the wildlife refuge, the motion is basically an environmental call to preserve the "most pristine wilderness in North America" from development. Most recently, the motion was referred to the council's Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources committee.

The Sierra Club is backing the council's effort. "We absolutely applaud the motion. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a priceless treasure in terms of wildlife resources," said Dick Hingson, conservation coordinator of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club.

But oil industry spokesmen say they oppose the motion. "We would oppose the motion because we support the development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," said Gary Shiohama, spokesman for the Western States Petroleum Association. "We want (it) to be developed because of California's dependence on Alaskan oil to meet our energy needs."

Shiohama went on to say that half of California's oil supply comes from Alaska's North Slope. If that supply is depleted, Californians and other Americans will become increasingly dependent on foreign oil.

George Ross, director of state and local governmental relations for Arco, added that 80,000 new jobs would be created in California alone by the opening up of this portion of the wildlife refuge.

With new available technological innovations, Arco believes the refuge can be developed in a very responsible and environmentally sound manner, Ross said.