Today the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Shell’s Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan, moving the oil giant one step closer to drilling risky exploration wells off Alaska’s northwest coast this summer. The following is a statement from Andrew Hartsig, Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Program:

“The Chukchi Sea provides habitat for supremely adapted Arctic animals like beluga and bowhead whales, ice-dependent seals, polar bears and walrus. But these Arctic waters are inhospitable for oil companies like Shell. Powerful storms, dense fog, cold temperatures and sea ice make operating in the Arctic Ocean extremely challenging, and make meaningful clean up of an oil spill all but impossible. If something goes wrong, the Chukchi Sea is more than 1000 miles from the nearest major port.

Shell has dismal track record in the Arctic—including a runaway rig that ran aground near Kodiak Island in 2012 and multiple permit violations. We cannot trust the oil giant to operate responsibly in the Chukchi Sea’s extreme conditions.

An oil spill in the Chukchi Sea could devastate marine wildlife and jeopardize subsistence hunting that is central to many Alaska Native communities. With so much at stake, drilling in the Chukchi is simply too risky.”

*Note: Andrew Hartsig is available for interviews upon request.

Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.