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Despite
Gulf Blowout, Offshore Arctic Drilling Scheduled
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An oil spill in the Arctic Ocean could devastate threatened Spectacled Eiders, which form large "rafts" of thousands of birds.
Credit: Laura Whitehouse/FWS |
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Press accounts report that new offshore drilling is on hold, but Shell Oil
has stated that they will have its drill bits
in place for exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean in less than 50
days. Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for drilling to proceed. We are very disappointed in the ruling. However, because the court was evaluating a decision made before the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico happened, we believe that there is now even more evidence that Shell must not proceed with plans for exploratory drilling this summer.
Audubon believes the Department of the Interior needs
to officially terminate Shell's summer drilling plans and conduct a complete
reassessment of its Arctic Ocean drilling plans in light of the on-going
Gulf blowout and spill. As stated
by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar regarding the Gulf blowout: “The
reality is all we know is there was a huge malfunction.” We still have a long
ways to go, Salazar said, “and
we don’t know exactly where we are going.”
An internal report from the Department of the Interior on the causes of the
Gulf blowout and spill is due to President Obama on May 28. Even though oil
drilling operations are suspended till that report is released, that still
leaves plenty of time this summer for Shell to proceed with drilling in the
extreme Arctic Ocean conditions where pack ice, seas of up to 20 feet, and
darkness make oil spill response effectively
impossible. In fact, Shell has stated that it is moving forward with its drilling
plans until the Department of the Interior tells it to stand down.
There are strong parallels between BP’s Deepwater Horizon project and Shell’s
proposed exploration drilling in the Arctic Ocean. In particular, both exploration
drilling projects were approved without adequate analysis of the potential
impact of a major spill on the people and wildlife of the region. In its analysis
of possible impacts from spills in the Arctic Ocean, Shell states: “a large
oil spill, such as a crude oil release from a blowout, is extremely rare and
not considered a reasonably foreseeable impact.” The Gulf spill tragically
shows that the industry’s supposedly “failsafe” blowout preventers can fail
during exploration drilling.
Accepting Shell’s assurances, the Department
of the Interior has chosen not to analyze the impacts of a large spill from
Shell's proposed Arctic Ocean drilling. Shell’s plan also assumes that if
a blowout were to occur, the drill rig would be unharmed, still available
to engage in spill prevention measures and, if necessary, able to drill a
relief well. In the ongoing Gulf blowout — as well as the recent months-long
Timor Sea Montara blowout off the coast of Australia — the drill rig
was burned and/or sunk.
Action to immediately suspend offshore drilling planned for this summer in
the Arctic Ocean will be the first real test of whether the Obama Administration
has learned from the BP’s Gulf spill and is serious about requiring safe operations
and effective oil spill response capacity.
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Congratulations
to Ken C. of Sunset, ME, whose entry was randomly chosen from the 270 entries that correctly identified last month's Peregrine Falcon
(at right). Good luck with this month's challenge (below)! HINT: Because they roost and nest directly on the sand and catch fish at the surface of the water, these birds are extremely vulnerable both to oil on the surface of the water and oil washing ashore. The winner will receive a plush Audubon singing
bird and will be chosen at random from all entries received that correctly identify the species (NAS
employees can play but not win). One entry per person please! Please 