From an environmental standpoint, the majority of residents are outraged. Despite the fact that none of the drilling will take place near Seattle’s coast, just the idea of damaging fragile ecosystems in the Arctic water angers Seattleites. Earthjustice Managing Attorney Patti Goldman describes a possible reason behind all of the unrest. “There’s a lot of interconnection between Seattle and Alaska, and people have a certain allegiance to that area.” Shiva Polefka, a policy analyst for America’s Progress Ocean Policy Program, remarks, “Developing offshore oil in the Arctic doesn’t make much sense. The coast guard admits it doesn’t have the equipment or expertise it would need to clean up an oil spill on sea ice, and the Interior Department says there is a three in four chance that drilling in the Chukchi Sea will result in a major oil spill.”
Still, supporters argue that the lease will generate over $28 million for the Port and the City of Seattle, along with sixty new family wage jobs. The contract will also prevent Terminal 5 from being stagnant, a benefit to any high traffic port. Additionally, Shell will not be doing any physical drilling near Seattle, so there won’t be any direct detrimental impact on Seattle’s environment. Moreover, supporters share that an Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Bureau of Ocean Management gave Shell a tentative green light even with the knowledge that offshore drilling is detrimental to marine life.
This lease comes at a rather interesting time. Beginning in May 2015, the United States will begin its brief stint as Arctic Council chair, the leader of an intergovernmental forum that addresses primarily environmental protection and sustainable development issues in the Arctic region. Along with the nations of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Russia, the Obama administration looks to polish its Arctic image. However, Shell's decision to begin parking their ships and rigs demonstrates an increased desire to further domestic offshore drill and the company's lack of concern for environmental degradation. Therefore, this lease identifies continued tension between the Obama administration and big oil and petroleum giants. The result of the filed lawsuits and unrest in Seattle will no doubt influence future opinions about offshore drilling among the American public and the presence Shell has in the industry.
Johnson, Kirk. "Oil Company Lease Stirs Revolt in Green Seattle." New York Times. 13 March 2015. Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/us/oil-company-lease-stirs-revolt-in-green-seattle.html
Ahearn, Ashley. "Critics take aim at Port of Seattle's Lease with Shell Oil." NPR. 11 March 2015. Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392263845/critics-take-aim-at-port-of-seattle-s-lease-with-shell-oil
Phillips, Ari. "Seattle Says No To Drilling Rigs." Climate Progress. 11 March 2015. Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/11/3632389/seattle-says-no-drilling-rigs-baby/
Brownstone, Sydney. "Commissioner Bill Bryant Mocks Seattleites and Reveals More About the Deal to Host Arctic Drilling Rigs." 22 March 2015. Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/03/22/21938345/audio-port-commissioner-bill-bryant-mocks-seattleites-and-reveals-more-about-the-deal-to-host-arctic-drilling-rigs
U.S. Department of State. "Arctic Council." Accessed on March 23, 2015. http://www.state.gov/e/oes/ocns/opa/arc/ac/