Unalaska, AK – In testimony to Congress, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen stressed that the lack of functioning icebreakers in Alaska would make it difficult to respond to an oil spill in the Arctic.

Allen spoke to a House Transportation subcommittee on Friday about the Deepwater Horizon blowout, and he brought up concerns about the state of the Coast Guard fleet as it relates to rescue and response in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Allen noted that two of the Coast Guard's three icebreakers are currently out of commission. The Polar Star and the Polar Sea are currently being refitted in Seattle. The only fully functional icebreaker is the Healy, a cutter primarily used for research voyages. A new icebreaker would cost upward of $750 million.

Allen also noted that there are no ports near the Beaufort and Chukchi seas capable of supporting a response fleet. Point Barrow has limited access, while Nome restricts access to larger response vessels. Right now, Shell has been keeping its company response fleet in Unalaska.

No oil companies have plans to drill in the Arctic this year. Shell hoped to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort Sea this summer, but decided against the project earlier this month due to permitting delays. The company still intends to pursue a drilling program in 2012.