Greens sue to protect walruses from Arctic oil drilling

A coalition of environmentalists is suing the federal government to stop a regulation that would let oil drillers in the Arctic harm walruses.

Earthjustice said the regulations from the Fish and Wildlife Service would give companies like Shell Oil permission to hurt Pacific walruses when they get permits to drilling the Arctic.

{mosads}Shell’s last attempt, in 2012, to drill in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea failed, but it could get a new permit as early as next year under Interior Department rules under development.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service needs to do a much better job of protecting walrus mothers and calves struggling to survive in the dramatically changing Chukchi Sea,” Earthjustice attorney Erik Grafe said in a statement.

“Today’s challenge seeks to protect walruses from suffering potential serious harm and harassment at the hands of companies like Shell Oil, which crashed and burned during its Arctic Ocean drilling efforts in 2012,” he said.

Oil operations could chase walruses away from feeding areas, harm their hearing and trigger stampedes, Earthjustice said.

The rule the group is challenging, finalized last June, falls under the Fish and Wildlife Service’s “incidental take” program, under which injury and even death of some species is allowed with certain permits.

“The Interior Department must better protect walruses and the fragile Arctic Ocean with its disappearing shoreline from harm by big oil companies, like Shell,”  Cindy Shogan, executive director for Alaska Wilderness League, said in the statement.

“Adding drilling into this already dangerous mix is reckless and irresponsible,” she said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service did not comment on the lawsuit.