Shell Gets Final Permit...Even with Safety Equipment Heading for Portland...

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
Air date: 
Thu, 07/23/2015 - 10:00am to 10:15am
Interview with Marissa Knodel

To sHell with Safety! Drill First and ...


The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement approved Shell’s final drilling permits, which was the final hurdle before the company can begin drilling exploration wells in the Chukchi Sea this summer. Shell can immediately begin drilling the top sections of two wells, but cannot drill down to where the oil and gas is located until the M/V Fennica, the ice breaker carrying the required capping stack for the wells, returns from receiving repairs to its damaged hull in Portland, Oregon. The permits also restrict Shell to drilling only one well at a time, due to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulation. The federal government found that there is a 75 percent chance of a large oil spill should drilling occur in the Arctic Ocean, yet the Bureau concluded that Shell is able to adequately respond should a spill occur, despite the treacherous and unpredictable conditions in the Arctic Ocean

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