Sierra Club: Revoke Shell's drilling permits, Arctic off-limits!

(Image: Jonathan Klingenberg/US Coast Guard)

Kodiak Island, Ala. – On Monday, Royal Dutch Shell Oil drilling ship Kulluk ran aground near Kodiak Island, Alaska – the latest in a long list of failures by Shell in the company’s much-hyped but continuously failed attempt to drill in the Arctic.

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune responds

“In just one year, Shell has proven over and over again that they are completely incapable of safely drilling in the Arctic. Their ships have caught fire and lost control, they’ve damaged their own spill containment equipment, and they’ve been caught entirely unprepared for the challenges of the Arctic. Now, they’ve actually run a ship carrying tens of thousands of gallons of oil aground in Alaska.

"This is the last straw. We should judge Shell not by their assurances or their PR tactics, but by their record – and Shell’s record clearly demonstrates that letting them operate in the Arctic is an invitation for disaster.

"America’s Arctic – whether offshore or in the Arctic Refuge – is the last place we should be drilling for oil and gas. If we are serious about fighting climate disruption and protecting our wild places, the President should immediately cancel Shell’s drilling permits before it is too late, and ensure the Arctic is off-limits for new oil and gas leasing and drilling this year and every year.”