The Hill: White House defends Arctic drilling plan

White House officials are defending the Obama administration’s decision to approve oil and natural gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Brian Deese, Obama’s senior climate adviser, said Monday that the administration is looking to limit as much drilling as it can under an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell and that he “would caution against the characterization” that they have opened up the region for more oil exploration. 

“Even in the context of the activities that are happening in the current season, we are talking about an application for a permit to drill a single well that is in process right now,” he said on a call with reporters. MORE