The Obama administration gave oil company Shell approval Monday to begin tapping Arctic oil off the coast of Alaska.
The approval came from the Department of Interior as the last in a series of permits that the company needs to begin doing exploratory drilling in the Arctic seas.
The approval and several others had managed to stoke the outrage of environmental groups, who say the administration is testing fate by risking a major spill in the Arctic. They also argue that oil drilling would undermine President Obama’s climate change agenda by increasing the amount of fossil fuels that many scientists say is causing the Earth’s temperature to rise.
The Interior Department had prevented Shell from drilling in oil-bearing areas off the coast of Alaska until it had a mechanism called a “capping stack,” which is required to prevent a well blow-out that could result in a major spill. The ship carrying the stack had left the Port of Seattle in recent days after receiving necessary repairs. Now that the device is in the region, Shell is being given permission to drill in areas known to have oil.
“Now that the required well-control system is in place and can be deployed, Shell will be allowed to explore into oil-bearing zones,” said Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Brian Salerno. He assured that the agency would “continue to monitor their work around the clock to ensure the utmost safety and environmental stewardship.”
A statement from the bureau said “safety inspectors have been present on the drilling units Noble Discoverer and Transocean Polar Pioneer 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide continuous oversight and monitoring of all approved activities.” The bureau said the inspectors “are authorized to take immediate action to ensure compliance and safety, including cessation of all drilling activities, if necessary.”
Monday’s decision marks a string of oil-related actions by the administration in recent days. On Friday, the administration approved exports of crude oil to Mexico. The move was praised by the oil industry and was used to urge support for lifting the 1970s ban on crude oil exports. The U.S. is now a top producer of oil and natural gas due to the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
