Barak Obama banned the oil and gas development in Chukchi Sea

The US president Barak Obama signed into law a bill prohibiting exploration of oil and gas in the waters of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. 21.Dec.16 7:53 AM By Anna Tuzova Photo Toinnov.com    584

According to Reuters, the US head of state has signed into law a bill prohibiting exploration of petroleum and gas in the waters of Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska, in the much of the Beaufort Sea north of that state and by northeast cost of the U.S., near the New England. The reason for signing this bill became the Act 1953 which authorizes U.S. presidents to place restrictions on oil and gas development on the shelf areas of USA. The law has up to now hardly been used; nevertheless, Obama stressed the need of signing the bill with the care for environment. According to him, though the USA and Canada have the most modern means to obtain oil, there remains the serious threat of marine water pollution. According to Reuters, environmental organizations insisted on signing the law. As indicated, the next president will need to go to court for abolishing the legislation. The American Petroleum Institute, which opposed the “perpetual ban” of exploitation, however, points out, that the next president (including Donald Trump) can use the veto to suspend the Act 1953. Reuters points out that the explorations in the Arctic are very expensive and risky, only 0,1 per cent of all oil and gas companies’ activities accounted for this area.

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