ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected a challenge of federal approval for Shell Oil’s exploratory drilling plan in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off Alaska’s coast.
In a brief opinion issued by the three judges who heard the case last week in Portland, Ore., the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the federal Minerals Management Service had met its obligations for consideration of the potential threat to wildlife and the risk for disaster before it approved the Shell project.
The ruling removes an obstacle for Shell, which hopes to drill three exploratory wells in the Chukchi and two in the Beaufort this summer.
Chris Krenz, Arctic project manager for Oceana, says the decision is disappointing in light of the ongoing crude oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
