Dateline: July 10, 2012
A coalition of conservation organizations filed a lawsuit in Alaska federal court Tuesday challenging the federal government’s approval of Shell Oil Company’s Chukchi and Beaufort Sea spill response plans. The plaintiffs in this case are Audubon, Alaska Wilderness League, Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, Pacific Environment, REDOIL and Sierra Club. They are represented by Earthjustice.
The plans, approved by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), describe how Shell says it will prepare for and respond to a major oil spill caused by exploration drilling in America’s Arctic Ocean. Shell’s drill rigs are headed for the Arctic right now and could be in place in a matter of weeks. A decision in this lawsuit would be the first in a challenge to offshore oil spill response plans in the United States. See the full story at Audubon.org
Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan is an avid birder and amateur photographer living on the Pacific Flyway near the Central Valley of Northern California. He is a board member of his local Audubon Society and is a bird and wildlife conservationist. Larry contributes to several wildlife conservation organizations and is a BirdLife International "Species Champion." He is also Habitat Manager for the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, an organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Western Burrowing Owl population in the United States. Larry has been blogging about birds since September of 2007 at TheBirdersReport.com
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