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NSB not part of suits against MMS
The North Slope Borough said Dec. 15 that it has opted to continue to work with Shell and agencies on the company’s Beaufort Sea exploration plan, and will not join lawsuits filed in the wake of federal approval of Shell’s 2010 plan.
“This is the first time that the Minerals Management Service has required a shutdown of drilling activities during our fall hunt of the bowhead whale,” NSB Mayor Edward Itta said in a statement. “The certainty of this protection is a positive stop. The whalers in Barrow, Nuiqsut and Kaktovik can rest assured that their fall hunt will not be interrupted by Shell’s industrial noise.”
The borough said the scope of exploration conditionally approved by MMS in October was significantly scaled back from the company’s originally plan and Itta said he gives Shell “credit for responding to some of our concerns.”
But Itta said a number of permits and issues remain — noise, air and water pollution issues and whalers’ concerns about cow-calf pairs diverted from Camden Bay feeding due to industrial noise.
“We expect a huge company like Shell to clear the bar with room to spare,” Itta said. “We need them to provide robust protections, not just minimums. That’s why we continue to engage with them and the agencies. I think we’re making progress. I’d rather work it out this way if we can.”
Call for more safeguards Itta also called on state and federal governments to upgrade safeguards in the Arctic.
“Why should North Slope residents expect anything less than the protections afforded other Alaska residents,” he asked.
He said the U.S. Coast Guard has a very limited presence in the Arctic, while it provides ample coverage in Southeast, the Gulf of Alaska and Southwest Alaska.
Itta also said the Arctic needs state-licensed marine pilots on certain vessels, as is required in other Alaska waters.
The Science Advisory Committee at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will meet in January to advise Itta on recommendations for reducing industrial discharge into the water. The borough said Shell has agreed to accept the committee’s recommendations as its guidelines for discharge.
“Ocean discharge is a real bone of contention for us, and Shell’s decision to live by the SAC’s recommendations is an important step,” Itta said. “I believe we can ultimately get to a plan that works for industry and satisfied our deepest concerns.”
—Petroleum News
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