House members want Shell barge investigated
US House members want investigation of Shell drilling barge; vessel intact near Alaska island
This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Members of Congress are calling for an investigation of a Royal Dutch Shell PLC drilling vessel that ran aground on a Gulf of Alaska island on its way to Seattle.
A U.S. House coalition says it's calling on the Interior Department and the Coast Guard to jointly investigate the New Year's Eve grounding of the Kulluk (CULL'-uck) and other incidents.
The Coast Guard has said the vessel appears stable and there's no indication of a fuel leak.
The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition is made up of 45 House Democrats. They say in a statement the grounding is the latest in a series of alarming blunders, and it amplifies the risks of Arctic drilling.
Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith says the company is in full support of the investigation and is providing resources for it.
