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Press contact: Rachel Fried, NRDC, 202-289-2391, rfried@nrdc.org or Bob Keefe, NRDC 202-289-2373, bkeefe@nrdc.org
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NRDC: Obama Administration Decision to Bow to Shell Oil’s Pressure in Arctic Is Premature, Wrong

WASHINGTON (Aug. 30, 2012) --- The Department of Interior on Thursday agreed to allow Shell Oil to begin preparing to drill in America’s Arctic.

Following is a statement from NRDC senior attorney Niel Lawrence:

“Secretary Salazar is right to keep repeating that he will hold Shell accountable to make sure drilling in America’s Arctic is safe. But today’s action looks like the administration is playing right into Shell’s game of acting like drilling is inevitable.

“While this is an interim step only, this is like a building inspector letting a developer start construction on a skyscraper on shaky ground before the safety plans are even complete.

“It’s premature, it’s unwarranted and it’s wrong – especially when it’s happening in one of the most pristine places on earth.”


The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.


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