President Obama responded to critics Thursday over the Interior Department’s approval of an Arctic drilling license for oil major Shell earlier this week.
“I think it’s fair to say that I know a little something about the risks of off-shore drilling, given what happened in the Gulf very early in my presidency, and so nobody’s more mindful of the risks involved and the dangers,” said Obama during a press conference following a meeting with Mideast leaders at the Camp David presidential retreat.
The president came under fire by environmentalists and some Democrats for approving a license for Shell to begin exploratory drilling in the waters off Alaska’s coast.
Critics of the decision argue that the approval was a sign of presidential back-pedaling on his commitments to the environment and addressing climate change.
Groups also said that the approval did not assess the risks of a spill in the Arctic, which would be nearly uncontainable in the icy seas. Protesters planned to block the route that Shell would take to move its drilling rig to Seattle on Thursday, before moving on to Alaska.
Obama said his administration had been mindful of the risks. “That’s why, despite the fact that Shell had put in an application for exploration in this region several years ago, we delayed it for a very lengthy period of time, until they could provide us with the kinds of assurances that we have not seen before taking account of the extraordinary challenges,” he said.
He added that “if in fact there was a leak that far north and in that kind of an environment, which would be much more difficult to deal with than in the Gulf” of Mexico where a devastating spill in 2010 took months to contain.
“Based on those very high standards Shell had to go back to the drawing board, revamp its approach, and the experts at this point have concluded that they have met those standards,” Obama said.
He also used the press conference to reiterate his support for clean energy development, and the goal of weaning the nation off fossil fuels.
“But keep in mind that my approach when it comes to fracking, drilling, U.S. energy production of oil or natural gas has remained consistent throughout. I believe that we are going to have to transition off of fossil fuels as a planet in order to prevent climate change,” he said.
“I am working internationally to reduce our carbon emissions and to replace over time fossil fuels with clean energies,” the president said. Many scientists say carbon emissions are causing the Earth’s climate to warm, creating more extreme weather, flooding and droughts.
He said that in the meantime, as this transition occurs, “we are going to continue to be using fossil fuels, and when it can be done safely and appropriately, U.S. production of oil and natural gas is important.”
“I would rather us,” he added, “with all the safeguards and standards that we have, be producing our oil and gas, rather than importing it, which is bad for our people, but is also potentially purchased from places that have much lower environmental standards than we do,” the president said.
