There is no reliable way to clean up oil in the Arctic, and that spells danger for animals like the beluga whale. It has to surface for air, a task that could prove treacherous and deadly, if Arctic waters are polluted by oil.
An oil spill in the Arctic would create a deadly barrier between air and water, causing belugas and other animals to breathe in toxic fumes instead of fresh air.
Currently there is no proven method of cleaning up an oil spill in the remote Arctic conditions. There are simply not enough resources, trained personel or equipment to clean up a spill so far from civilization, and no one knows how to clean up oil in frozen waters. There is no effective response plan and there is a clear lack of basic scientific information about the ocean ecosystem.
One spill is all it would take to destroy the safety of belugas' waters. Despite the risk, new Arctic drilling is being proposed by the Department of the Interior.
Arctic drilling simply isn't responsible. Tell the Chief of Environmental Assessment to protect Belugas and the Artic from dirty drilling.
Mr. James Bennett
Chief, Division of Environmental Assessment
Minerals Management Service
381 Elden Street
Mail Stop 4042,
Herndon, Virginia, 20170
Telephone: (703) 787-1660
E-mail: jf.bennett@mms.gov
