WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The BOEM approved Shell’s multi-year exploration plan contingent on obtaining necessary permits from state and federal agencies.
Shell’s plan follows new standards for Arctic exploration developed earlier this year by the US Department of Interior, according to BOEM.
“The environmental plan describes all exploration activities planned by the operator, including the timing of these activities, information concerning drilling vessels, the location of each planned well, and actions to be taken to meet important safety and environmental standards and to protect workers, resources, wildlife and access to subsistence use areas,” BOEM said.
Environmental organizations said they are against Arctic drilling in the Chukchi Sea, given the region’s unique environment and the technical difficulties of extracting oil and gas from offshore Arctic fields.
Shell has not operated in the Chukchi Sea since 2012 when the company faced a number of safety and operation difficulties, including an oil rig running aground. In March of this year, the Department of Interior renewed Shell’s 2008 lease.
In February 2015, the US Interior Department released proposed regulations for oil and gas drilling in the outer continental shelf in the Arctic. The proposed standards include environmental regulations, as well as criteria through all steps of the extraction process, from drilling to transportation.
The United States has experienced a number of maritime oil and gas disasters, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the 1989 Exxon Valdez crash in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which left behind long-term environmental destruction and economic hardship.
