Another probe is under way into Royal Dutch Shell's 2012 Alaska drilling season, this time for possible violations of international marine environmental rules, Reuters reported on its website Thursday citing a U.S. Coast Guard official.
The Coast Guard has asked federal prosecutors to consider taking action on possible violations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships committed in the operations of Shell's Kulluk drillship, said Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo, head of the Coast Guard in Alaska, in the report.
Rear-Adm. Ostebo said he had commissioned one investigation already launched into the Dec. 31 grounding of the Kulluk and that the Coast Guard has forwarded findings of safety and environmental violations on the Noble Discoverer, Shell's other Alaska drillship, to U.S. prosecutors for possible enforcement action.
"Last week, I also referred a separate Kulluk investigation into potential MARPOL violations from 2012 to the Department of Justice for their review and potential follow-on action," Rear-Adm. Ostebo was quoted as saying at a field hearing convened by Senator Mark Begich.
