Campaigners hail MPs’ call for halt to drilling in Arctic

Published on 20/09/2012 12:00

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners today hailed a report by MPs as a blow to Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy over its controversial oil drilling in the Arctic.

The Commons cross-party environmental audit committee called for a halt to such drilling until stronger safeguards are in place. It said dealing with an oil spill in the icy extremes of the Arctic would be exceptionally difficult because the infrastructure for a big clean-up operation was not in place.

Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland, said: “The committee has delivered a damning verdict on the credibility of oil company plans to deal with oil spills in the Arctic. Both Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy and Shell gave evidence but entirely failed to convince the committee that they know what they are doing in the sensitive Arctic environment.

“The Arctic can’t afford the risk of oil spills and the planet can’t afford the risk of burning the oil that lies in the Arctic”.