EPA slaps Shell with citations

By Blake Wright Houston

 17 January 2013 06:33 GMT

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell with a pair of air pollution citations related to the operator’s recent woe-filled drilling campaign in the US Arctic.

The notice cited “multiple permit violations” by the ice class drilling unit Kulluk and the drillship Noble Discoverer.

Shell could be subject to fines or other measures, as a consequence of violating the Clean Air Act.

The EPA said the problems were found during an inspection of the Noble Discoverer and because Shell reported it had exceeded nitrogen oxide emissions limits on both its rigs during operations last summer.

The Kulluk was operating in the Chukchi Sea, while the Noble Discoverer was in the Beaufort.

Shell knew the strict emissions standards could be a problem…

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