Mass of sea ice forces drilling to halt, raises doubts about spill cleanup
Chukchi Sea, Alaska. (Florian Schulz / visionsofthewild.com)
Shell’s vice president of Alaska operations was quoted last Saturday as saying "Happy, happy, happy." Then the ice showed up.
Hours after Shell began drilling in the Artic, operations were forced to shut down to accommodate a drifting 30-mile by 12-mile hunk of sea ice, moving at a rate of a mile every 30 minutes. That’s what ice does in the Arctic—it is unpredictable, unforgiving and moves in with the high winds just in time to ruin a happy day.
A week ago, the Department of the Interior approved drilling in “non-oil-bearing zones” and Shell immediately began drilling its first exploration well in the Chukchi Sea, off the coast of Northern Alaska in the early morning hours of Sunday. The drilling lasted only a few hours before the company took a “precautionary” move and disconnected the drilling rig from the seafloor anchors and temporarily moved the vessel off the well site. One wonders what would happen if such an ice mass moved in while Shell was trying to respond to a major oil spill.
The window for Shell to strike oil this season is rapidly closing as Shell is approved only until Sept. 24 for drilling into the oil-bearing zones. The company has asked for an 18-day extension but Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that extension decisions won’t happen until after the final permits to drill deeper have been issued.
Drilling deeper this year has not been possible so far because of challenges with the Arctic Challenger, the oil spill response and containment barge, which had been undergoing retrofitting and testing in Washington State for months. Until Shell gets Coast Guard and various agency approvals of this vessel and moves it in place in the Arctic, Shell can’t drill for oil.
The Arctic Challenger left Bellingham, Washington in the middle of the night last week and hasn’t been seen since. Sea testing? On its way to the Arctic while undergoing sea testing? We don’t really know, even though the administration and Shell both promised the communities of the Arctic and the rest of us—transparency.
The latest government approvals to Shell’s ever-changing set of standards, specifically the air pollution and sea-worthiness of vessels, have been made without any public process and in some cases the official documents have only been released to the public after repeated requests. The public has yet to see Shell’s official request to extend the drilling season. That’s about as transparent as the gooey waters of an oil spill.
Earthjustice continues to represent its clients in challenging flawed and unlawful oil-spill response plans, air pollution permits and leases. Our aim remains to protect the pristine American Arctic waters from harmful industrial activities in the short term with a long-term focus of conservation based on best available science.
The implications of a failed Arctic ecosystem will affect us all through the rapid effects of climate change. And there’s nothing “happy, happy, happy” about that.
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Thank you for the info and all your hard work...The Words Shell Oil & Happy, Happy, Happy, do not belong together anymore.The threat they pose is real and devastating. I wish people would wake up. We must not continue to subsidise Fossil Fursl Industries. Hopwfully we are educating & slowly will create the political will that sees the Greedy Goliath brought down by the brave people of planet David!
"Happy, happy, happy" is really stupid, stupid, stupid and I no longer patronize Shell gas stations if I can avoid them. I don't trust Shell in the Arctic and feel badly about buying their gas for my car. I am glad that my new car gets better gas milage than my previous car did. I look forward to eventually owning a car that does not need gas at all to run on. That would make me happy, happy, happy. Now if only we could make all plastic products (currently made from petroleum)from things that are not of petroleum origin.
Thank you Earthjustice for keeping on top of this! So sad that Shell is even thinking of drilling there. I wish we would get our oil addiction under control .
It seams to me it would be cheaper and less hazardous to develop wind turbines and solar pannels for energy. I do understand we use petroleum for more than just fuel but if we removed some of that burden with clean energy we can accomplish several goals. Number 1 is clean energy, second would be new jobs in a cutting edge thechnology. That would bring manufacturing and possible exports just for starters. What is the down side? I really can not think of one. The down side of drilling; possible oil spills and a major capital expense for starters.
I guess it comes down to them not wanting to loose there control and power over us.
They made cars in the 30's that used water and gas together to get incredible gas mileage. Solar power is free also, and we have the technology to incoporate it. The reason hybrids are slow and expensive is so the only people who will buy them are people who disregard performance, want improved gas mileage, and are stupid enough to pay the unnecessarily high prices (I'll stick with my mustang, thanks).
Oil makes billions of dollars year while we struggle to get to work. America is the best democracy money can buy.
The high hazards of oil drilling in such extremely hardy conditions and extreme weather have been clearly demonstrated in Shell's inability (it is, after all, one of the most powerful corporations in the world) to start drilling in Chukchi sea. A simple ice flow? What will happen if something a little bit more challenging comes along? This is absurd. This is ludicrous. This is irresponsible. This is a hoax. Shell and whoever gave them these unwarranted permits will be held accountable if , God-forbid, an oil spill occurs in polar bear habitat and the fragile and pristine arctic ecosystem. WE THE PEOPLE will hold them accountable. You bet.
These big companies like Shell will not be happy until they ruin our planet to the point of no return. Money is the means to all ends to them. And it will be the end when the planet has nothing left to give.
You are so right. RIGHT HERE AT MY DOORSTEP, Southern Company and Mississippi Power Company are building a COAL PLANT to harvest lignite coal that is wet and actually takes MORE ENERGY to process than the electricity it will provide! Why are they going to dig up half of my county with clean air, water, dark skies (to watch stars), wonderful habitat. GREED. I do not understand why we cannot get the folks to up rise over the terrible scourge that is overcoming us. At the beginning of this at a meeting with the "coal folks" a representative actually got up on the stage and said that Mississippi has no sun! Therefore, trying to press the fact that solar would not be feasible here. I have been working with the Sierra Club for four years now and they have along with the help of the Earthjustice taking these people to court. I think that we are going to loose this fight. No one cares about the environment here in Mississippi save the Sierra Club and Earthjustice.
This should not be happening. We're going to have a BP spill in the Arctic.
Praise God! He put a stop to the drilling.
Sandra, you are an IDIOT !
I agree with Phil G. Leave this fairy-tale concept of 'Gawd' out of the picture. If we waste our time and energies upon a non-existent god to do things for us, then we'll never change government policy. We have only each other to make changes in our energy policies.
God will destroy those who destroy the earth
So far, and in all of human history, god has been asleep at the switch.
enough is enough
Don't you think the world that we live on is in danger,how old are you?I am only 58 and I see and feel the changes every year. think about your children and grandchildren do want to watch them having to put on a mask just to go outside?That is if the earth want to let us even go that far all the money in the world can't buy you another planet.
Is Mother Nature looking out for its own? It seems that the oil industry just can't get everything they want without either slight of hand, corruption, collusion. They also don't care about anything or anyone else that stands in their way, come hell or high water. It would be a damn shame if that boat just plain disappeared now, wouldn't it!
Looks like Mother Nature is defending herself!! I love it! Let their lobbyists buy off all the Republican money grubbers, they can't buy her off. Fight or flight and she's fighting. You go, girl!
Right on Janet, I agree.
They were FOREWARNED not to drill in the ARCTIC and look what's happening to them now. I hope the sea ice comes in and stays year round so than they couldn't drill there anymore. REVENGE is SWEET and Mother Nature is doing it for us ( ROTFLMAO ).
If I ever win a lottery, you folks will have a happy, happy day! I am so happy that you are so serious about protecting the Arctic! Even one mistake can't be allowed, as the whole ecosystem and entire species are at risk. Thank you for all you do to protect them. Please make it your mission in life, not a job. Otherwise, you may fall prey to what must often be huge disappointments and mountainous frustration. I await news from you and send my prayers for you daily. :)
I applaud Earthjustice for its work. However, I have to admit to a feeling of hopelessness. Even with all that is being done to protect our planet, it seems the power of money and corporations is too much to prevent Shell from getting approval to drill, and it manages to renege on the promise of transparency--seemingly without effect.
Even though organizations like Earthjustice win small victories, it seems the best we have is not enough to halt the juggernaut of the political and economic system. (sigh)
I can completely relate, Beverly. How do we keep ourselves from losing faith when it feels as though we are fighting a losing battle? Of course, I do my part, as many of us do. However, it's incredibly frustrating to know that so few people seem to be aware of what's going on, let alone actually care.,
It only goes to show that Shell Oil cannot
skirt past the will of God and even God does
not approve of drilling.
The Lord's mighty hand created the ice and
prevented Shell Oil's unholy operation to continue.
Shell Oil, give it up, go home, and repent!!!
The Day of Judgment is near!!!
you best tell your god to step it up because the pain and destruction on planet earth is overwhelming.
I hope the Arctic Challenger has sunk
Imagine the remnants of an oil spill drifting into the North Pacific Gyre interacting with the plastic garbage island that is already wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.The effect on the entire food chain will be disastrous.
One would need a vivid imagination to hear me say, "Gee. that's too bad."
We are very disheartened by the adminisration's decision to allow Artic drilling. Have they caved under lobbying or political pressure? Who is advising the President? His acceptance of fracking is also deeply disturbing.
Realist enough, all would be much worse under a Republican administration, yet so distressing and disappointing.
Thank you for the good work you do.
vite vite que pouvrz vous encore trouver pour detruire NOTRE TERRE
The govt is ruining EVERYTHING!!!
Right! So vote Republican and bring in Sarah Palin as Secretary of the Interior!
YEA!!!
This whole operation needs to be shut down. President Obama is selling out to the oil companies beyond description. This is not the way to protect our environment, Keep humanity healthy or pay our bills to China or not become independent of Foreign oil. It is just another giveaway to the Republican right wing harassers who is continually tries to please and fails at it. Stand up to big Oil and this party that cannot abide a Blackman in the hite house who is not even a Blackman fully. Why do you give in to bully's. You are the president of the US. Act like it. We need to develop solar and renew those energy credits to keep the green economy going.
You wonder why mother nature is erupting because we are destroying mother nature. She continues to act up in order to heal the places polluted by bad seeds and polluted dirt caused mainly by bad farming methods, fracking and old drilling in so many states. Wake Up! Sincerely
Keep working on this issue.... It is not worth the risk of having Chukchi Sea polluted by oil.
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