Citing BP, Shell Claims Safety Advances for Arctic Offshore Pipeline

by Ben Buchwalter

While oil continues to spill out of BP's offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Shell reaffirmed its commitment this week to plans for its controversial pipeline in the Arctic. But due to public pressure following BP's spill, Shell will impose additional safeguards against future spills, which would be disastrous for Alaska's ecosystem.

Earlier this month, California governor Arnold Schwarzenneger announced that his state would halt offshore drilling for the first time in over 40 years. A handful of environmental groups have demanded similar concessions from oil companies and state governments with limited success. Last week, the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge to Shell's proposed pipeline in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas near Alaska.

In a letter Monday, Shell promised to deploy a containment dome and diving team at the drilling site to protect the area in the event of a spill. "Shell is committed to undertaking a safe and environmentally responsible exploration program," President Marvin E. Odum wrote to the Minerals Management Service. "I am confident that we are ready to conduct the...program safely, and, I want to be clear, the accountability for this program rests with Shell."

That last admission is nice to hear, considering that BP is trying desperately to avoid being held responsible for the spill in the Gulf. But Shell appears to be downplaying the similarities between both projects. Their letter states that the chances of blowout in the Arctic are much lower than the Gulf because that pipeline was 5,000 feet deep, facing three times more pressure than their project.

And while the program benefits from shallower seas, a spill would be disastrous due to the proposed pipeline's pristine location. "Oil companies have tapped the easy oil off of our coasts," said Chris Krenz, a project manager for environmental group Oceana. "They are now pushing the limits and increasing the risk by heading to the deep water of the gulf and the remote and unforgiving Arctic."

Marilyn Heiman, the US Arctic program director for the Pew Environment Group, also doubts Shell's claim to safety. "They do not begin to have enough vessels and equipment and people. If they did have a spill that lasted more than a couple weeks and had to fly stuff in, there are no runways...there's no boat dock there," she said.

Environmental concerns aside, the Arctic offshore pipeline, which scientists estimate will produce 27 billion barrels of oil, will move ahead this summer. It's now clear that Big Oil has joined ranks with other traditional energy producers of coal and nuclear here in the United States to maintain their stranglehold on the energy industry to the detriment of clean, safe renewable options like wind and solar.