Shell’s oil rig is already falling apart — and it hasn’t even left for the Arctic

http://grist.org/list/shell-oil-noble-discoverer-arctic-rig-has-already-broken-down-but-its-on-its-way-to-seattle/?utm_campaign=daily_feed&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter


In today’s HOLY SH*T WTF!? news: The Noble Discoverer, Royal Dutch Shell’s oil drilling rig, already failed a routine Coast Guard inspection — months before it is even scheduled to leave for the Arctic. VICE News reports that inspectors found malfunctioning anti-pollution machinery aboard the rig last month.
This is one hell of a bad omen for everyone.
Why? Here’s a little history: In 2012, Shell stationed the Kulluk, an oil drilling barge, and two tug boats off the coast of Alaska to drill five oil wells in the Chukchi Sea. After multiple failed drilling attempts, the Kulluk ended up wrecked in the Aleutian Islands. The disastrous oil “exploration” mission ended with the rig’s handlers pleading guilty to eight felonies for marine crimes.
With that kind of track record, it’s no surprise environmentalists and concerned citizens are up in arms about the company’s plan to return to the Arctic this July.
Naturally, Shell officials assure us that everything’s JUST DANDY.