The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service approved a plan Monday for Shell Offshore, Inc. to being exploratory drilling on two leases in Alaska’s Beaufort sea next year, the Associated Press reported.
The approval drew harsh criticism from environmental groups who say the Arctic ecosystem is already under considerable stress resulting from climate change.
"Obama could have installed Sarah Palin as Secretary of Interior and the polar bear and Arctic ecosystem would be no worse off than it is under Ken Salazar," said Brendan Cummings, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity.
The oil and gas leases were acquired in 2005 and 2007, before a court decision required the Minerals and Management Service to conduct further analysis on leases granted for the 2007-2012 period.
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