Environmental Groups Sue Port of Seattle Over Shell’s Arctic Oil Fleet

SEATTLE, March 2 (Reuters) – A coalition of environmental teams sued the Port of Seattle on Monday to cease the lease of a terminal to Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Arctic oil drilling fleet, arguing a correct environmental evaluate was by no means performed, court docket information confirmed.

Earthjustice, together with different teams together with the Sierra Club, filed the swimsuit in a Washington state court docket, alleging the drilling operation was considerably completely different from the terminal’s prior use, which means an environmental evaluate needed to be completed underneath state legislation.

The criticism in opposition to the port and Foss Maritime Co, which might work for Shell underneath the two-year lease, additionally alleged that officers reached the association with out public disclosure and that the fleet may pollute the realm’s water.

“The Port shut out the public and subverted laws that are designed to foster an informed public assessment of controversial proposals like this one,” Earthjustice Managing Attorney Patti Goldman stated in a press release.

Shell, Europe’s largest power agency, is intent on restarting its Arctic drilling marketing campaign in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea this summer season. It was suspended in early 2013 following the grounding of a drilling rig.

“We have received a shoreline substantial development permit exemption from the City of Seattle for this use,” Port of Seattle spokesman Peter McGraw stated in a press release, including that officers had not but reviewed the swimsuit.

“The Port of Seattle believes it has complied with all necessary environmental requirements,” McGraw stated.

Foss didn’t instantly reply to request for remark however firm spokesman Paul Queary instructed the Puget Sound Business Journal that exercise on the terminal would really decline underneath the plan.

Late final yr, drilling contractor Noble Corp Plc paid $12.2 million to settle felony expenses by the U.S. Department of Justice associated to security, environmental and file retaining violations on vessels in Arctic waters in 2012 whereas working as a contractor for Shell. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Writing by Curtis Skinner; Editing by David Holmes)