A final environmental impact statement released today by the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management confirms the idea that if energy companies like Shell were to drill in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea, there would be a 75 percent chance of a major spill in the next 77 years.

That said, the EIS also provides additional justification for Shell's Arctic drilling exploration activities this summer. It states that drilling could recover up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil and more than 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. (Before the final EIS, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the original EIS estimate—1 billion barrels of oil—was flawed.)

The final decision on whether to let Shell drill depends on Interior Department secretary Sally Jewell—a UW grad and former chief exec at REI. The earliest we could hear about such a decision would be March 25, according to Fuel Fix.

"Global scientists are demanding government leaders leave carbon like Arctic oil in the ground to avoid catastrophic climate change," Greenpeace Arctic specialist John Deans said in a statement. "If President Obama lets Arctic drilling go forward, he’ll be choosing the side of corporate greed over the people."

Shell, which hopes to use Seattle as an off-season home port, put down a $2.1 billion bid on drilling rights in the Arctic in 2008. And Port of Seattle CEO Ted Fick just signed a sneaky lease on Wednesday that would allow Shell to use Seattle's port as its drill-rig storage unit.