The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s approval of Royal Dutch Shell’s Arctic drilling plan has spurred protests in Seattle while U.S. leaders dispute over oil and gas exploration.
Even though Shell still has state and federal permits to acquire, protesters against Arctic oil drilling have gathered at the company’s fuel transfer station as well as set up a tripod shaped structure at the gate of the Shell facility in Seattle this morning.
One of Shell’s drill ships is expected into Everett Washington today and another in Seattle later this week.
Protesters have said they will meet the second ship, named the Polar Pioneer, with kayaks.
Meanwhile in the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, Alaska’s Dan Sullivan confronted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe on the president’s plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Sen. Sullivan: “He has issued a request to designate the area for wilderness when you don’t have to authority to do that. This is a huge issue for my state and I think you’re violating the law, I think the president is violating the law, how do you do that?”
Dir. Ashe: What we have said…
Sen. Sullivan: “How do you do that?”
(Call for order)
President Barack Obama previously announced his intent to deem ANWR wilderness to stop oil and gas exploration.