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For Immediate Release
April, 04 2014, 04:29pm EDT
Contact:
eff Benzak, jbenzak@nrdc.org, 202-513-6248; or Elizabeth Heyd, eheyd@nrdc.org, 202-289-2424
Coast Guard Report on Shell Debacle Underscores Danger of Arctic Drilling
The U.S. Coast Guard's long-awaited report on the 2012 grounding of Shell Oil's Kulluk drill rig near Kodiak Island, Alaska underscores the serious threats posed by drilling in the Arctic Ocean, the Natural Resources Defense Council said. The 152-page report said Shell's reckless and failed attempt to tow its Arctic Ocean drill rig was riddled with deficient planning and poor decision-making and potentially violated the law.
The following is a statement by Chuck Clusen, director of National Parks and Alaska Projects at NRDC:
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Coast Guard's long-awaited report on the 2012 grounding of Shell Oil's Kulluk drill rig near Kodiak Island, Alaska underscores the serious threats posed by drilling in the Arctic Ocean, the Natural Resources Defense Council said. The 152-page report said Shell's reckless and failed attempt to tow its Arctic Ocean drill rig was riddled with deficient planning and poor decision-making and potentially violated the law.
The following is a statement by Chuck Clusen, director of National Parks and Alaska Projects at NRDC:
"The incident makes vividly clear the near-impossible task of coping with an oil spill in the Arctic's harsh weather conditions -- and the likelihood of serious threats to human life and the environment. Nobody has any business trying to drill in the Arctic Ocean -- period. America doesn't need to endanger one of our remaining wild, untamed places. And we cannot afford to worsen climate change by going to extremes in search of dirty fuels--especially when we already have safer, cleaner ways to power our economy. This report reminds us to appreciate that some places are too special to drill."
NRDC works to safeguard the earth--its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild.
(212) 727-2700LATEST NEWS
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The settlement allows the sale of forced-reset triggers. Under the terms of the settlement, a manufacturer of the device, Rare Breed Triggers, will be allowed to sell the devices but will not be allowed to design them for use in a pistol, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The company also agreed to enforce its patent to ward off infringement.
Under former President Joe Biden, some of the devices were classified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in 2022 as machine guns, which are illegal under federal law.
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According to the Friday announcement from the DOJ, the settlement resolves both of those cases, which were on appeal.
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