14 DAY TRIAL // In a statement issued earlier this week, the US Department of Justice explains that, having been found guilty of a series of pollution blunders and even cover-ups, Noble Drilling LLC, Shell's Arctic drilling contractor, must now pay a rather impressive fine.
Thus, the US Department of Justice says that Noble Drilling LLC is expected to try and make amends for environmental and maritime crimes it committed in 2012 in Alaskan waters by coughing out a total of $12.2 million (about €9.9 million).
This sum of money, which comprises both fines and community service payments, was accepted by Shell's Arctic drilling contractor under the terms of a plea agreement filed in federal court, information shared with the public says.
Apart from paying this fine, Noble Drilling LLC must plead guilty to as many as 8 felony offenses and take action to implement an Environmental Compliance Plan. Besides, it will be on probation for nearly a half a decade from now.
How Shell's contractor got in trouble with the law
Chances are some of you don't remember this, but some time ago, on December 30, 2012, one of Shell's oil rigs threw quite a fit while in Alaskan waters and eventually ran aground on the south-east coast of Sitkalidak Island.
At that time, the oil rig was carrying approximately 139,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of lubricating oil and hydraulic fluid. What this means is that, had the Kulluk turned topsy-turvy or anything of the sorts, it would have caused a serious environmental catastrophe.
The wackiest thing is that the Kulluk oil rig, which at that time was operated by Noble Drilling LLC, did not run aground because of some freak accident. On the contrary, it simply broke free from the ship that was towing it due to stormy weather.
Earlier this year, in April, the US Coast Guard produced a report saying that this incident had been no more and no less than the result of Shell's and its contractor's inappropriate assessment and management of the risks associated with drilling in this corner of the world.
As it turns out, the US Department of Justice agrees that the December 2012 incident in Alaskan waters could have been prevented had Shell and Noble Drilling LLC been more cautious. Hence the decision to fine the contractor for its failure to properly operate the drill ship Noble Discoverer and the drilling Unit Kulluk.
Noble Drilling LLC's many other offenses
It is understood that, apart from allowing said oil rig to go haywire, Shell's Arctic drilling contractor is also guilty of having knowingly provided inaccurate information concerning its business agenda and the environmental impact of its activities in Alaskan waters.
More precisely, the US Department of Justice says that Noble Drilling LLC used the Noble Discoverer's Oil Water Separator even during times when the system was not as efficient as existing legislation required it to be, and consequently, dumped oil-containing discharges in the water.
As if this weren't enough, evidence indicates that Shell's contractor failed to properly keep tabs on how much oil it was collecting, transferring, storing, or disposing. Besides, the company stands accused of having actively tried to keep information from the US Coast Guard,
In a statement issued this past Monday, officials with the US Department of Justice sum up Noble Drilling LLC illegal activities in Alaska as follows:
“Noble Drilling LLC was charged in an eight-count Information with knowingly failing to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book and an accurate International Oil Pollution Prevention certificate, knowingly failing to maintain a ballast water record book, and knowingly and willfully failing to notify the US Coast Guard of hazardous conditions aboard the drill ship Noble Discoverer.”
One can only hope that, following this incident, energy giant Shell will quit its plans to go looking for oil in the Arctic. If it doesn't, it can expect that environmentalists will organize plenty of protests against it and its dirty ways to make money.
