When Shell put together it Arctic Drilling Plan for the Interior Department it didn't comply with Fish and Wildlife Service protections for marine mammals like Walruses. Earthjustice discovered the discrepancy and soon after the FWS put restrictions on Shell's drilling plan limiting them to only drilling one of their planned six wells at a time to minimize industrial impacts like aquatic noise on Arctic species.
Obama Administration Deals Blow To Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans
BY ELISE SHULMAN
Shell had planned for simultaneous well drilling this summer because such operations can only proceed before sea ice begins to form during the Arctic autumn. Tuesday’s action by FWS halves the rate at which Shell will be allowed to drill its exploratory wells this summer, should it secure its remaining outstanding federal permit for drilling operations from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
The decision from FWS comes shortly after lawyers with the public interest organization Earthjustice last week uncovered the regulatory discrepancy in Shell’s proposed exploration plan. In a letter delivered to the White House Tuesday morning that highlighted the finding, five Democratic Senators said Shell’s Arctic drilling proposal represented a “clear violation” of wildlife protection rules, one that “will negatively impact the resting, feeding, and breeding grounds of walruses.”
Hooray for
Earthjustice
Obama administration delivers big blow to Shell’s Arctic drilling plans
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Although the agency authorized some of those animal disturbances, it said Shell cannot simultaneously bore planned wells that are just nine miles apart because a 2013 regulation requires a 15-mile buffer zone around active drilling rigs.
Under the ruling, Shell can still move two contracted rigs to its Burger prospect 70 miles northwest of Alaska’s coastline, but only one can be drilling at any given time.
Shell said it still plans to carry out curtailed drilling operations, which depend on the company on winning at least one more federal permit. The company has already committed about $1 billion to this year’s planned drilling activities and has already moved major assets to Alaska. One rig arrived on Saturday and a second is en route, after leaving a Washington state port early Tuesday.
So shell plans to work around the restrictions they were probably aware would be possible all along.
Shell's Noble Discoverer left Everett earlier today despite efforts of kayactivists to prevent its departure.
Shell oil-drilling ship leaves Everett, bound for Arctic
By Dan Catchpole
EVERETT — Royal Dutch Shell's oil-drilling ship moved out of the Port of Everett early Tuesday morning, headed for Alaskan waters to explore for Arctic oil.
Protestors in kayaks, tugs and law enforcement boats escorted the Noble Discoverer into Port Gardner before sunrise.
Five of about 20 protesters were detained and cited by authorities for coming within 500 yards of the ship after they launched from Mukilteo.
Shell's Polar Pioneer as it departed Puget Sound, now in Unalaska AK. in the Aleutian Islands.