  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2012
Contact: Virginia Cramer, 804-225-9113 x 102
Shell Abandons Plans to
Drill in the Arctic this Year
Oil Giant Still Ill-Equipped to Handle
Extreme Arctic Conditions
Washington, DC -- Royal
Dutch Shell has announced that it will not move forward with plans
to drill for oil in the Arctic’s Beaufort and Chukchi Seas this
year. Known as the Polar Bear Seas, these waters are home to the
entire US population of polar bears and serve as an important
migration route for bowhead and beluga whales. They are also home to
some of the most extreme and dangerous conditions on the planet,
making drilling a risky proposition.
In response Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune
issued the following statement:
“Shell’s announcement is recognition of what we’ve been saying
all along—the company cannot safely drill in our Arctic
waters. Shell’s disturbing trend of failing to meet safety and
pollution requirements comes against a backdrop of shifting ice
floes and other reminders of the dangers and difficulty of drilling
in the Arctic.
The extreme conditions of the Arctic have resulted in a delicate
natural balance that has allowed wildlife and local communities to
survive for generations. Oil drilling here could damage Arctic
waters and wildlife for decades and end Alaska Natives' ancient
subsistence way of life.
Realizing the dangers of drilling in this pristine and harsh
environment, more than a million people have spoken out in
opposition to Shell’s drilling plans over the past months. The truth
is that we don’t need to open this irreplaceable area to drilling.
Instead we should focus on making our cars cleaner and more
efficient, expanding our transportation choices and investing in
clean energy innovation.
The Polar Bear Seas, special places in the Western Arctic and the
coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be
protected, not given away to Big Oil. “
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