Oregon Public Broadcasting

Environmentalists and Native Alaskan tribes are trying to keep Royal Dutch Shell Oil from drilling in the Arctic Ocean. OPB's Sam Sanders reports on a federal appeals court hearing held in Portland Thursday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments from the U.S. Minerals Management Service, Shell Oil, and environmentalists.

They're debating whether to permit Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean.

Environmentalists said noise from the drilling would disrupt bowhead whales. Tribes in the area rely on the whales for their livelihood.

Christopher Winter: "As marine mammals, they rely on hearing for navigation, communication, finding food and caring for their young."

That's Christopher Winter. He argued on behalf of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.

The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico did not come up at the hearing. But Winter’s client and other environmental groups have asked the Department of the Interior to hold off on the drilling, in light of the recent oil spill.

They're worried that there aren't enough resources in the Arctic region to handle a big spill.

They also argue that ice in the Artic would make cleanup difficult. They claim Shell's drilling proposal didn't assess all of the risks involved, or have a detailed plan to deal with any spill.

Shell Oil, however, says the company’s permit requests were valid. They argue that the Minerals Management Service was correct to begin awarding drilling permits.

Shell spokewoman Kelly OpDeWeegh: "We absolutely would not consider drilling in Alska if we were not confident we could do it safely and responsibly. We believe the Minerals Management Service was thorough in its technical and environmental review of our exploration program and as a result, we believe the permit is strong, and that the Mineral Management Service will be succesful in defending its approval."

If permitted, Shell will begin drilling in the Arctic July 1st. But one member of the three judge appeals panel asked what would happen if it takes longer than that to reach a decision.