US approves oil drilling in Alaska waters, prompting fears for marine life

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Italian company plans to drill four exploration wells in the Arctic, which some say will endanger polar bears, bowhead whales and other marine mammals

Associated Press in Anchorage, Alaska
Thursday 13 July 2017 17.07 EDT


An Italian multinational oil and gas company has received permission to move ahead with drilling plans in federal waters off Alaska which environmental campaigners say will endanger polar bears, bowhead whales and other marine mammals.

Late on Wednesday, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced conditional approval of an exploratory drilling plan submitted by a US susbsidiary of the company, Eni.

The company plans to drill four exploration wells from the Spy Island drill site, an 11-acre artificial gravel island constructed in state of Alaska waters 6ft to 8ft deep. Spy Island is one of four artificial islands in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska’s north coast that support oil production.

Barack Obama last year banned oil and gas exploration in most of the Arctic Ocean. Donald Trump in April ordered Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review the ban, with the goal of opening offshore areas. Environmental and Alaska Native groups sued to maintain it.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/13/us-approves-oil-drilling-in-alaska-waters-marine-life-fear

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. When constituents die and their food source dies, nothing will change even then.

We are done, over.

Russia is in charge now.

All because some had to hold their _ _ S _ S

[catbyte]

2. I despise these monsters more and more every day.

[GreydeeThos]

3. Donald Trump in April ordered Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review the ban

It is time to review the election of Donald Trump and expel him from office.

[mpcamb]

4. So hold them responsible when the oil leak occurs as it inevitably will.

[GreydeeThos]

5. I was thinking more along the lines of impeachment

Trump appears to be guilty of collusion with a foreign government, obstruction of justice, and he is mentally unstable. Impeach him for high crimes and misdemeanors, as well as the 25th amendment.

Trump needs to be gone yesterday.

[mpcamb]

6. I was thinking along the lines of financial responsibility.

Let them get sued for money. It's all they seem to understand.
The collusion would, I imagine, make them responsible for damages.
It's clear he's trying to wring all the money he can out of this short term government job he has.
For your sake and mine and the public's, let's get all of it back.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. No EPA study before the approval?

[WinkyDink]

9. What EPA?

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Oh yeah, I forgot . . . . .

[Bayard]

8. Some of these species are already severely threatened

I remember reading a story some time back where a female polar bear ended up having to eat her cub because they were stranded on an ice floe.

These parasites will not be done until they wipe the planet bare.