The area where the leases were sold is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania and part of a marine habitat used by one of two of Alaska’s polar bear populations.
“Shell’s polar bear policy currently meets or exceeds all existing regulatory requirements, including reporting, training and avoidance measures,” Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said in a prepared statement.
“In the future, as new regulations take shape, Shell will work with regulatory agencies and stakeholders to determine if additional mitigation measures are needed,” he said. “Shell is absolutely committed to operating in a safe and environmentally responsible manner in the Alaska offshore.”
Last year, environmental and Native Alaskan groups asked the appeals court to block Shell plans for exploratory oil drilling near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
They say Minerals Management Services did not fully consider the drilling’s impact on endangered bowhead whales and other marine mammals.
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