Put oil and gas commissioner Hollis French back to work!
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy

“I think this is happening because I have been firmly standing up for
the public interest in oil and gas conservation. It’s about what we do as a watchdog agency.”
Hollis French, Chair, Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy's efforts to fire Hollis French as chair of the three-member Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission would rob Alaska of invaluable experience and decades of service.
When other commissioners closed their ears to public concerns, French
offered a very measured and respectful response. When questions were
raised concerning more than 1,400 potential violations of Alaska's waste rules, resulting in excess methane emissions, French listened and responded, and now Gov. Dunleavy wants to punish him.
State law forbids the termination of commissioners without cause. French has served Alaska in many capacities as Assistant District Attorney, Senator and in Alaska's oil and gas industry and his unique expertise and experience is invaluable in fulfilling AOGCC's mission to protect Alaskans' resource interests. Despite Hearing Officer Tim Petumenos finding "insufficient evidence" that French was "neglect of duty and misconduct", as alleged, following a three-day hearing regarding the matter, Gov Dunleavy placed him on administrative leave indefinitely.
Tell Gov. Dunleavy to immediately put Commissioner French back to work and allow him to serve his full term. At a time when Alaska's economy is faltering and carbon and methane emissions-driven climate change bears down ever more upon us, Alaska needs his expertise and leadership more than ever!
Media links:
Feb 14: Dunleavy places chairman of Alaska Oil and Gas oversight Commission on Administrative leave.
Feb 7: Alaska GOP Gov. Dunleavy seeks to oust Democratic chair of oil and gas watchdog agency.
Feb 8: Hearing concludes regarding French's fate at head of state oil and gas watchdog agency.
To:
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy
From:
[Your Name]
The mission of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is to "protect the public interest in exploration and development of Alaska's valuable oil, gas, and geothermal resources through the application of conservation practices designed to ensure greater ultimate recovery and the protection of health, safety, fresh ground waters and the rights of all owners to recover their share of the resource".
State law forbids the termination of commissioners without cause, including “incompetence, neglect of duty or misconduct in office.” Since his appointment in 2016 as Chair of the Commission, Hollis French has been diligent in his duties to fulfill the agency's mission. French is uniquely qualified to lead the AOGCC. He has a BA from the University of Alaska, a law degree from Cornell Law School, served at an Alaska Assistant District Attorney from 1996-2002, represented District J in the Alaska Senate from 2003-2014 and worked in Alaska's oil and gas industry for eight years. You would be hard pressed to find someone of French's caliber to fulfill AOGCC's mission to protect Alaskans' resource interests.
Hearing Officer Tim Petumenos found "insufficient evidence" that French was "neglect of duty and misconduct" following a three-day hearing regarding the matter. We call on you to put Commissioner French back to work immediately, and to allow him to serve out his full term. At a time when Alaska's economy is faltering and carbon and methane emissions-driven climate change bears down ever more upon us, we need his expertise, experience and leadership more than ever.
(1) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-25/big-oil-warns-of-backlash-as-it-makes-vow-on-climate-change