For three weeks the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
has raced ahead of cleanup efforts, despite temperate weather
and extensive spill-response resources in the area. Yet the Interior
Department has approved plans to drill exploratory offshore
wells this summer in the U.S. Arctic, where cleanup technology
is extremely limited. In fact, for much of the year, the Arctic Ocean
is a vast expanse of broken ice, sub-zero cold, extended storms
and continuous darkness.
Alaska Natives, along with polar bears, walrus, bowhead whales and
millions of migratory birds, depend on this fragile marine environment.
It’s essential that Interior suspend all plans for exploratory drilling
there until the Gulf spill can be fully assessed and steps are taken to
prevent this kind of catastrophe from happening in the Arctic.
Suspend exploratory drilling in U.S. Arctic waters NOW.
Alaska Wilderness League
Audubon Alaska
Defenders of Wildlife
Earthjustice
Natural Resources
Defense Council
Oceana
Ocean Conservancy
Pew Environment Group
The Wilderness Society
World Wildlife Fund
