This morning 24 protesters were arrested as they tried to block Shell's Polar Pioneer from leaving it moorings in Seattle's Duwamish waterway. Those arrested included a member of the Seattle City Council Mike O’Brien.
Greenpeace: Protesters, Seattle councilmember detained by U.S. Coast Guard as Shell Oil rig leaves Seattle
About 40 to 50 supporters in kayaks and canoes lined up behind the blockade.
Royal Dutch Shell hopes to use the rig for exploratory drilling during the summer open-water season in the Chukchi Sea, off Alaska’s northwest coast. Greenpeace said Shell plans to start drilling in less than two weeks. Conservationists bitterly oppose offshore drilling in the Arctic, saying it’s not clear any spill could be cleaned up.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith says the company remains “committed to operating in a safe, environmentally responsible manner.”
Shell arctic oil rig leaves Seattle, met by protesters
By Michael Konopasek and Travis Pittman
The Coast Guard said 24 protesters were detained for violating the safety zone. One of them was Seattle City Councilman Mike O'Brien. Seattle City Hall says O'Brien was booked and fined $250. He was later released.
The Polar Pioneer undocked from Terminal 5 at 6 a.m., pulled by tug boats.
Protesters sent out an alert Sunday night to supporters to block the departure.
Adding insult to injury the EPA has quietly given Shell permission to dump the Polar Pioneer's wastes into the Chukchi Sea.
EPA authorizes Shell rig to discharge ‘waste streams’ into Alaska’s Chukchi Sea
By Joel Connelly
Quietly last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency authorized Shell to discharge 13 separate “waste streams” into the Chukchi Sea when the Polar Pioneer begins drilling wells in Arctic waters later this summer.
In a letter from the EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle, Shell was given a green light to discharge such waste as water-based drilling fluids, domestic wastes, sanitary wastes, blowout preventer fluid, bilge water and excess cement slurry.
As of now the Polar Pioneer and its tugs are stopped in Puget Sound about 6 Km. south of the town of Kingston.
Also see: #Shell No - Happening Now in Seattle
UPDATE 1:
I can see the Polar Pioneer in the distance 10 miles away to the south down Admiralty Inlet just to the left of my PC's monitor. A number of protesters in kayaks have taken to the waters of Admiralty Inlet to intercept the Polar Pioneer from nearby Port Townsend. Some of those protesters were detained in Seattle's Elliott Bay earlier today when the drilling rig was leaving Seattle, and this is their second attempt today to block the Polar Pioneer from returning to the Chukchi Sea off of northern Alaska. They have my profound gratitude.
I will provide more updates as things develop.
My photo of the Polar Pioneer in Admiralty Inlet as it entered Puget Sound on May 14th.
UPDATE 2:
The Polar Pioneer has left it maritime traffic lane crossing Admiralty Inlet to it west side either to let a outbound Alaska cruise ship pass by, or more probably to avoid the Kayactivists off of Port Townsend. There are strong currents of up to eight knots that flow through this section of Admiralty Inlet making it difficult for kayaks travel across the channel.