Native, environmental groups challenge Chukchi Sea drilling
A coalition of Alaska Natives has combined forces with some of the heaviest hitters in the environmental community to challenge a plan by Shell to drill for oil off Northwest Alaska.
By MARY PEMBERTON
The Associated Press
Published: January 20th, 2010 11:51 AM
A coalition of Alaska Natives has combined forces with some of the heaviest hitters in the environmental community to challenge a plan by Shell to drill for oil off Northwest Alaska.
The legal challenge to Shell's approved drilling plan for the Chukchi Sea was filed today in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The groups say that the plan approved by the Minerals Management Service does not comply with federal environmental laws. And they say the plan was approved without evaluation of the potential impact of a major oil spill in the Chukchi Sea.
