Safety regulations issued, but the only ‘safe’ form of drilling for the Arctic and the climate is none at all

Environment America

WASHINGTON, DC — Today the Obama administration announced final drilling safety and spill prevention rules for future oil and gas development in the Arctic Ocean.
 
Rachel Richardson, director of Environment America’s Stop Drilling Program, issued the following statement in response:
 
“When you drill, you spill, and a spill in the harsh conditions of the Arctic would be nearly impossible to clean up – threatening beluga whales, walruses, and one-fifth of the world’s polar bears.
 
“What’s more, drilling in the Arctic Ocean would only deepen our reliance on dirty energy, at a time when scientists say we must transition off fossil fuels completely by mid-century to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.
 
“These safety regulations acknowledge the unique risks oil and gas development poses in the Arctic, but they don’t adequately address them. The only ‘safe’ form of drilling for the Arctic and the climate is none at all. That’s why we urge the president to take Arctic oil and gas drilling off the table, for the next five years and forever.”