Audubon Response to Department of Interior's Decision to Allow Shell's "Preparatory" Work

Beth Peluso

Shell's drill rig the "Kulluk" when it was docked in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

“Time and again, Shell has shown that it’s not ready to handle the harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean. They lost control of their drill ship in a calm harbor, they’ve not even finished building the oil spill response barge, they’ve admitted they can’t comply with their air pollution permit, and they said they could clean up 90 percent of a spill but now say they would only ‘encounter’ 90 percent of a spill. But now Shell wants to bend the rules and move forward anyway,” said Eric Myers, policy director for Audubon Alaska. “The stakes are too high. The Department of the Interior must hold Shell accountable and protect our air and waters.”