UPDATED 18:03 PM EST, January 3, 2013
Environmental groups have long argued that harsh Arctic conditions and the 1,000-mile distance between the drilling sites and the Coast Guard station in Kodiak made drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas too risky. Shell has maintained, however, that it is capable of safety exploring with multiple backup ships ready to respond.
"This string of mishaps by Shell makes it crystal clear that we are not ready to drill in the Arctic. Shell is not Arctic-ready," said Chuck Clusen, the national parks and Alaska projects director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
