More trouble for Shell Oil's drilling operations in Alaska. Update!

Courtesy of CBS News:  

CBS News has learned that the U.S. Coast Guard has called in their criminal investigators to probe potential violations of federal law involving the activities of a 572-foot oil drilling and exploration ship owned by the Noble corporation, and contracted by Royal Dutch Shell to search for oil in the arctic. Royal Dutch Shell owned the drilling rig, the Kulluk, that ran aground in rough Alaskan seas Monday. 

The revelation that another Noble ship working for Shell may have been operating with serious safety and pollution control problems bolstered allegations from environmental activists that the oil industry is unable to conduct safe oil drilling operations in the Arctic Ocean. 

The Coast Guard conducted a routine marine safety inspection when Noble's Discoverer arrived at a Seward, Alaska port in late November. The inspection team found serious issues with the ship's safety management system and pollution control systems. The inspectors also listed more than a dozen "discrepancies" which, sources tell CBS News, led them to call in the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) to determine if there were violations of federal law. 

Sources told CBS News that when criminal investigators arrived, the Noble Discoverer's crew had been provided with lawyers and declined to be interviewed.

The whole crewed lawyered up?  Oh no, NOTHING to hide there!

And of course THIS news is on the heels of the serious problems going on with the Kulluk, the oil ship currently stranded off of Kodiak island.

I see some serious fines coming Shell Oil's way.

You know if I were in charge of Shell Oil's arctic oil research department, I might be advising the powers that be to cut their losses and get the hell out of Alaskan waters while they still can.

Update: Rachel Maddow did a deep dive on this situation last night on her show.

Oh this is going to piss Palin off!

The Center for Biological Diversity praised the Obama administration’s announcement today that it is cancelling two offshore oil and gas lease sales: one in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia and another in the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic lease sale was part of a controversial area that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar approved for expanded offshore oil development after the Bush administration lifted the moratorium on drilling in the Atlantic. The Gulf of Mexico lease sale was scheduled to take place in mid-August.

“Obama’s decision to cancel these lease sales recognizes that risky offshore drilling needs reform,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center. “Halting controversial lease sales is among the most proactive steps that Obama has taken toward the Gulf disaster.”

You just know that somewhere on the road (just where in the hell is she these days anyhow?). Sarah Palin is bitch slapping her Facebook writer and demanding that she "make me sound smart" as she prepares to dictate some mind numbingly stupid word salad which will have little, if any, resemblance to the finished post.

"President Obama...oil independence...honor our troops...take away Trig's health care...drill, baby drill...Todd's snowmachine runs better on domestic gasoline...patriotic Americans...common sense...tax and spend...there!  Now polish that up and hit the "publish" button!" 

I have a new hero and his name is Judge Ralph Beistline, the man who said NO to offshore drilling in the Chukchi Sea.

From ADN:

U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline said the Minerals Management Service failed to analyze the environmental effect of natural gas development despite industry interest and specific lease incentives for such development. The agency analyzed only the development of the first field of 1 billion barrels of oil -- despite acknowledging that the amount was the minimum level of development that could occur on the leases.

The agency also failed to determine whether information it acknowledged was missing before the sale was relevant or essential under environmental law, or whether the cost of obtaining that information was exorbitant.

Beistline enjoined all activity under the lease sale pending additional environmental reviews.

Caroline Cannon, president of the Native Village of Point Hope, an Inupiat Eskimo whaling community of more than 700 on a peninsula jutting into the Chukchi, said news of the decision brought tears of joy in the village.

You know I think that last line, pretty much says it all.