Shell’s Arctic drilling problems continue to mount up. This morning word is out that the Environmental Protection Agency has cited both of its drilling rigs for air pollution violations during the past drilling season. The Noble Discoverer still sits in Seward, originally detained for safety and propulsion violations. And the Kulluk is anchored in a Kodiak Island bay still being inspected for damages from being grounded on New Year’s Eve.
Both the Kulluk and the Noble Discoverer had excessive Nitrogen Oxide emissions during the drilling season. The EPA says the air quality violations were self-reported by Shell and do not preclude the company from applying for future permits. But it has also notified Shell that its 2013 air permit application for the Discoverer is incomplete.
Penalties and corrective actions have not been agreed on yet.
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