The Arctic Ocean may be remote and frigid, but it is home to abundant life and a delicate marine ecosystem. Despite the risks posed by offshore oil drilling, the oil industry is bent on gaining access to these fragile waters.
The Wilderness Society has joined a coalition of Alaska Native and conservation groups in a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s decision to allow Shell to begin offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean next summer.
The Wilderness Society continues to sound the warning that Shell lacks the ability to adequately respond to an offshore oil spill in remote, stormy seas that are covered in ice much of the year.
Shell's ongoing oil spill battle in the North Sea is disturbing, but it is made even more disturbing given that Shell recently received conditional approval to move forward with dangerous drilling plans in Alaska's Arctic waters next summer.
This map breaks down Alaska's North Slope by sold, deferred, active, and potential leases, as well as Barrow Native Lands and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Surface and Subsurface Lands.
Interior Department spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said the Louisiana court decision has no effect on the administration's decision to suspend until 2011 new offshore drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.
"We wish it did," said Julie Hasquet, a spokeswoman for Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. "But we don't think it does."
