"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Royal Dutch Shell affiliates $1.1 million for emitting too many pollutants into the air during the 2012 drilling season offshore in the Alaska Arctic."

"The agency announced late Thursday afternoon that it had settled two enforcement cases, once involving the Noble Discoverer drilling ship's work in the Chukchi Sea and the other involving the Shell-owned Kulluk drilling rig in the Beaufort Sea.

The EPA issued the Clean Air Act permits for Shell's Arctic operations in early 2012. The permits are complex documents drawn up by engineers that set emission limits and pollution control requirements on the drilling rigs and their support fleets of icebreakers, spill response vessels and supply ships, the EPA said. The permits also specify monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements."

Lisa Demer reports for the Anchorage Daily News September 5, 2013. [2]