Stivers: what's Kilroy's drilling position?

The congressional campaign for state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) is going after Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) for what they say is refusing to give a clear position on whether she supports more oil drilling.

Stivers campaign laid out a timeline of “vacillating” positions. On June 19, Kilroy said oil companies don’t mean more land to drill on but should drill on federal lands they’re already leasing. Stivers campaign calls this a sham because the leases have no oil on them. Later, Kilroy released her energy plan that doesn’t mention drilling. On Aug. 27, PolitickerOH.com reported that Kilroy’s campaign said Kilroy supports any drilling that is environmentally safe anywhere. At the debate, Kilroy reiterated her statement that she opposes drilling in environmentally-protected areas.

Stivers press secretary Rob Nichols said in a statement that Kilroy “continues to sneak around the issue, hiding from the voters exactly where she would drill. ... There are fifty states and countless square miles of coastline to choose from -- voters deserve an honest answer as to where she will drill.”

Kilroy’s campaign reiterated its environmental drilling position when confronted with the Stivers campaign’s accusations.

"Mary Jo is 100% committed to environmentally responsible new drilling just like they have in the North Sea,” said Kilroy communications director Brad Bauman.

Nichols said Stivers’ energy plan advocates for "responsible drilling" in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, in the Rocky Mountains, offshore and "anywhere that America has energy resources.”

However, Stivers was asked by PolitickerOH.com at the June debut of his energy plan if his plan would call for opening specific oil reserves to drilling. Stivers said that decision would be left to the director of his proposed Petroleum Administration for Security and Congress.

"I'm not going to sit here today and propose where exactly to open up but there will clearly be places where that person and hopefully Congress will believe where we need to increase domestic production," Stivers said in June.

Bauman said voters need an honest answer about whether Stivers’ proposed administration would create a “multi-billion dollar bureaucracy."

UPDATE: Nichols said Stivers has repeatedly said he supports drilling in ANWR, the Rockies and offshore. While his plan doesn't specifically call for these areas to be opened, philosophically he's open to drilling in an environmentally-safe manner, Nichols said.

Also, Nichols said it the PAS won't create a bureaucracy.

"I don't know where they got that number from," he said.