Green light for New drilling in Alaska raises Environmental concerns

(Associated Press)

The US Federal Government gave the "ok" to Shell Offshore Inc. to drill exploratory wells next year in the Beaufort Sea, off Alaska's north coast. Enviroonmentalists have raised concerns that such a decision threatens the Artic environment and its wildlife.

Shell must meet certain conditions including federal air and water quality rules and marine mammal protection requirements but environmental groups claim that the Artic Circle is already experiencing stress due to global climate change and such activity would worsen the loss of sea ice.

The Beaufort Sea is estimated to contain 8.22 billion barrels of oil and over 27.64 tcf of natural gas, according to the Minerals Management Service.

The Centre for Biological Diversity has stated that petroleum companies are incapable of cleaning up spills in the Artic, especially broken ice. Beaufort has few support facilities and experiences some of the worst weather which would prove challenging to get clean-up equipment to the area. The Centre added that the survival of the polar bear in the Beaufort Sea is already "tenuous" and additional stress from noice disturbances from drilling would make things worse.

Shell Alaska has stated that it will meet all the requirements laid by state and federal law and has already put together and environmentally sensitive and responsible exploration plan.

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