The Wire

Shell’s plan to drill for oil off the coast of Alaska this summer may be delayed as a result of damage to one of its vessels. A hole more than 3 feet long and 2 inches wide was discovered in the Fennica, a 22 year old icebreaker carrying equipment needed to cap a well if a blowout occurs. Shell is assessing the damage but expects drilling to proceed. Environmental activists say that the project is too risky, endangering the environment and the livelihoods of people living in the Arctic.