I support protecting the Arctic and the many marine species that call it home by preventing any future oil and gas drilling in the U.S. Arctic Ocean, unless and until it can be done without harming Arctic marine ecosystems.
Over the past decade, industry efforts to pursue oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean – and the corresponding government approvals — have resulted in controversy, lawsuits, the diversion of government resources, and near environmental disaster.
The Arctic region is home to vibrant communities, iconic wildlife and some of the last wild places relatively untouched by industrial development. The Arctic's Chukchi and Beaufort seas support walrus, whales, seals, polar bears and other important wildlife species. As Shell's disastrous efforts to drill exploration wells in 2012 reminded us, Alaskan waters are also remote, dangerous and unforgiving. There is no proven technology capable of responding to a spill in icy Arctic conditions, and oil companies simply are not ready to operate there.
Our oceans are too important to risk for questionable, short-term financial gain. I support a healthy U.S. Arctic Ocean.