Tell Obama: Reject Shell's Excuses

All across America people are begging President Barack Obama to say no to oil giant Shell's plans to drill in the Arctic this summer -- so far, to no avail. Today we have another compelling reason to say Shell No!

The company has admitted that its Arctic drillship Noble Discoverer and its oil-spill response vessel Nanuq can't meet the air-pollution standards in its Clean Air Act permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. Shell's own documents show that the company knew back in 2010 that it couldn't meet its permit requirements -- but instead of fixing the problem, it's waited till the eleventh hour to ask the EPA for a free pass to just let it drill in the Arctic, in violation of its permit.

This is a classic bait-and-switch tactic, and we can't let Shell get away with it.

Shell has told the media it's certain the EPA will let it move forward -- despite the fact that its drillship is going to emit three times the amount of harmful nitrogen oxides allowed, and its oil-response vessel is going to emit 10 times the amount of particulate matter pollution. What's more, just this weekend the Noble Discoverer came loose from its moorings in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and drifted perilously close to shore.

Does the Obama administration really think that a drillship that can't be properly anchored in port is prepared for the harsh conditions of the stormy, ice-choked Arctic Ocean? Shell should not be permitted to play out its comedy of errors in the fragile home of threatened polar bears and walruses.

Please take action to tell the president enough is enough.

Take action by using this Web address: http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11125