US Coast Guard steels for role in Arctic as exploration increases

Anchorage (Platts) –

The US Coast Guard is strengthening its presence in US Arctic regions,
testing equipment and operating strategies for the third summer season, to
ensure safety as oil and gas exploration and commercial shipping in the area
increases, the agency’s commandant told a US Senate subcommittee Thursday.

Climate change and the retreating polar icepack makes the Arctic more
accessible, and the Coast Guard must have emergency search and rescue and oil
spill responses and be able to provide security in regions with virtually no
infrastructure, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen told the Homeland
Security subcommittee.

Shell has major exploration efforts underway in the Alaska Beaufort and
Chukchi Sea regions, and commercial cruise ships now transit both seas.

The Coast Guard is particularly concerned about the Bering Strait
connecting the Bering and Chukchi seas, which would be the Pacific gateway to
the Arctic, Allen said.

“The US is an Arctic nation. As the ice edge continues to recede in the
summer, the extent of navigable waters increase. As we adjust to this dynamic,
it is critical to recognize that the Arctic region as environmentally fragile,
rich in natural resources and of significant national importance and
international interest,” Allen said in a prepared statement.

Platts