With his presidency in its final months, President Obama faces the critical decision of whether to include the Arctic Ocean in the government’s 2017-2022 offshore leasing program. This is a gamble for our nation’s waters and coastline in one of the most dangerous drilling environments in the world.

ADVERTISEMENT

One year ago on Sept. 2, Mr. Obama became America’s first sitting president to visit Alaska’s Arctic, where he met with people who would be the most at risk from a major oil spill if his administration allows further oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic Ocean.Recognizing the ecological importance of the ocean’s ecosystem and vital wildlife, the president has already withdrawn 9.8 million acres from future oil and gas leasing in the waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off Alaska’s Arctic coast. He has also made great strides in protecting other areas of the Arctic.When it comes to coastal protection, his administration has recommended that more than 12 million acres of one of the nation’s last remaining wild landscapes—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—be permanently protected as wilderness, and adopted a management plan for the 23 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that balances conservation with energy development.But despite these important steps, the Arctic Ocean largely remains open to drilling. The industry has proved it cannot safely mobilize and operate in violent, icy seas more than 800 miles from the nearest U.S. Coast Guard station. Shell’s disastrous 2012 exploratory drilling season was a series of blunders, mishaps and environmental violations that culminated in the grounding of a drill rig that was damaged beyond repair.The oil industry lacks the technology to recover significant percentages of spilled oil even from calmer, temperate waters. A supplemental environmental impact statement for one Arctic Ocean sale estimated that there is a 75-percent chance of one or more major spills over the lifetime of operations.Even oil company executives have seen the folly of attempting to drill in such a remote and dangerous place. Shell abandoned the Arctic Ocean after failing to strike oil last year, setting off a rush by other companies to give up their existing leases in the region. With global markets awash in so much cheap oil, there is no justification for risking an environmental catastrophe by drilling for what would be among the riskiest and most expensive crude on the planet.Still, the industry argues for keeping options open by leaving the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in this next five-year cycle of the federal leasing program. But that would cost taxpayers money as government employees prepare costly analyses, collect data and develop environmental impact statements.Despite its extremely harsh environment, the Arctic Ocean thrives with sea life in a fragile marine ecosystem. It is home to polar bears, walruses, seals and thousands of finback, humpback and beluga whales. Native communities on Alaska’s northern coast depend on Arctic Ocean sea life to sustain their way of life.A major oil spill could devastate those communities, the marine environment and sensitive coastal areas, including portions of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.This region is already experiencing dramatic effects of climate change with more intense storms and beach erosion, melting permafrost, shifting wildlife and disappearing sea ice. For these reasons, the administration committed in March to stronger environmental and climate protections for any future Arctic development..President Obama has the opportunity to build on his efforts to protect the Arctic by removing the Arctic Ocean from the upcoming 5-year offshore leasing program, protecting not only the marine environment and Alaska’s coastlines, but also the subsistence resources that sustain the people and culture of Alaska’s northernmost communities.Jamie Williams is president of The Wilderness Society. Founded in 1935, and now with more than 700,000 members and supporters, TWS has led the effort to permanently protect 110 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org