The Frontier Discoverer drilling rig is shown at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 2007. Oil spills in the Beaufort Sea would persist longer and travel farther while trapped in sea ice, according to a study released by the World Wildlife Fund of Canada in 2014. A multi-nation agreement on spill clean action, could be delayed due to conflict over Russian actions in Ukraine
Photo Credit: Shell Exploration & Production/Associated Press

Crimea conflict could block oil spill treaty in Arctic

The political dispute over Crimea between Russia, and the Ukraine and NATO nations, including Canada, could have an unexpected ripple effect in the high Arctic.

At the senior arctic officials meeting (SAO) of the 8-member Arctic Council in early March, a draught agreement was developed to create a multi-national emergency action plan for oil spills in the Arctic.

This was to be signed by Foreign Affairs ministers of the Arctic nations at their meeting on April 24 in Iqaluit.

However, the Russian newspaper Izvestia, is reporting this week that Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Rob Nicholson, will not attend the signing as he does not want to be seen alongside Russian ministers.

The paper, which is seen as sympathetic to the Putin government, says that Canada instead may send Susan Harper, Canada’s Senior Arctic Official.

Isvestia, whi also hints that because of Canada’s apparent stance, Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, might skip the Iqaluit meeting as well.

 

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Members of the Arctic Council at the Fourth Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) meeting, held in Whitehorse Yukon March 2-5, leading up to the ministers meeting in Iqaluit April 24-25 © Arctic Council Facebook

The initial plan was signed  at the 2013 meeting in Sweden, for “an agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic.”  This in fact was to create a task force to work together towards producing an Arctic oil spill action plan which the Foreign Affairs ministers would sign later this month.

At the 2013 meeting, Canada’s Arctic Council minister Leona Aglukkaq said, “A potential oil spill could have a serious impact on the livelihoods of northerners,” adding,  “By acting together, here at the Council, we are enhancing our collective ability to respond.”

However, some criticized the plan as dealing with spills after the fact, and not with plans and requirements to prevent them in the first place.

Izvestia says although the plan may not be signed by all members at the April meeting, it may be signed at a later date.

The American Special Representative Robert Papp, says the conflict in Ukraine should not get in the way of co-operation with Russia in the Arctic.

Since the conflict in eastern  Ukraine, the EU, the US, and Canada have imposed sanctions on Russia, and are prevented from doing business with dozens of Russian officials, business people, and companies.

with files from Jim Bell, and Izvestia

Categories: Economy, Environment & Animal Life
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