Below is a statement from the above-listed groups:
“We are very disappointed in today’s ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, the court was evaluating a decision made before the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico happened. We believe that the new issues this incident has brought to light offer even more evidence that Shell must not proceed with plans for exploratory drilling in the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas this summer. With 48 days to go before Shell is slated to move forward, we will continue to press our request to the Obama administration to re-evaluate its approval of the Shell drilling plans in light of the Gulf spill and to suspend drilling that we knew was risky even before the massive failure in the Gulf once again exposed that drilling is indeed a dirty and dangerous business. With limited capacity to respond to potential spills and icy, harsh conditions, the Arctic is no place to take our next drilling gamble, especially when there are still so many unknowns – in the Arctic and in the Gulf.”
Read more about what Defenders is doing to halt offshore drilling in the U.S.
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
Contact(s):
Caroline Cannon, Native Village of Point Hope, (907) 830-2727George Edwardson, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, (907) 444-7240
Emilie Surrusco, Alaska Wilderness League, (202) 544-5205
Rebecca Noblin, Center for Biological Diversity, (907) 274-1110
Caitlin Leutwiler, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-3226
Eric Grafe, Earthjustice, (907) 586-2751
Frank Ameduri, Oceana, (907) 586-8314
Andrew Hartsig, Ocean Conservancy, (907) 229-1690
Pam Miller, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, (907) 452-5021
Carole Holley, Pacific Environment, (907) 277-1029
Kristina Johnson, Sierra Club, (415) 977-5619
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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