Yesterday Fox News reported that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Appeals Board has decide to withhold critical permits to Shell Oil Company in the company’s efforts to drill off the north coast of Alaska.  As a result of this move, Shell has been forced to abandon its plan to drill in Alaska.

The article reports:

“Shell has spent five years and nearly $4 billion dollars on plans to explore for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The leases alone cost $2.2 billion. Shell Vice President Pete Slaiby says obtaining similar air permits for a drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico would take about 45 days. He’s especially frustrated over the appeal board’s suggestion that the Arctic drill would somehow be hazardous for the people who live in the area. “We think the issues were really not major,” Slaiby said, “and clearly not impactful for the communities we work in.””

The article explains that the nearest village is about seventy miles away from the drill site and has a population of 245 people. 

The article reports:

“The EPA’s appeals board ruled that Shell had not taken into consideration emissions from an ice-breaking vessel when calculating overall greenhouse gas emissions from the project. Environmental groups were thrilled by the ruling.”

When elections come in 2012, we need to remember why gasoline prices are rising out of control.  This sort of ruling from the EPA is not the only cause, but America could return to prosperity fairly quickly by developing its domestic energy resources.  The current recession is partially the result of government energy policies, government fiscal policies, and crony capitalism which begins in the White House.  It’s time to unelect anyone who has been part of the cause of this recession.  Anyone who supports this sort of EPA ruling should be among the first to go.