A year after the disastrous Gulf oil spill, the prospect of a major accident in oil's next frontier - the icy waters off Alaska's north coast - has experts even more concerned.
With no roads connecting remote coastal towns, storms and fog that can ground aircraft, no deepwater ports for ships and the nearest Coast Guard station about 1,000 miles away - it would be nearly impossible to respond on the scale that was needed last year to stop the runaway oil well and clean up the mess. That means the burden to respond would rest to an even greater degree on the company doing the drilling.
YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea – South Korea has begun live-fire drills from a front-line island bombed last month by North Korea, in defiance of the North's threats to attack again.
The Defense Ministry says the drills started Monday, and an Associated Press cameraman heard the booms of artillery explosions Monday afternoon.South Korean conducted the one-day live-fire drills from this tiny enclave of fishing communities and military bases only about seven miles (11 kilometers) from North Korean shores.The island was shelled by the North after similar drills last month. Two marines and two civilians were killed.The North considers the waters around Yeonpyeong its own territory and has threatened to retaliate for any new drills. Full Story
