USCG sets safety zones around Shell vessels

The U.S. Coast Guard has imposed safety zones around vessels associated with Shell’s planned Chukchi Sea drilling program when those vessels are in the Puget Sound region near Seattle. The Coast Guard has also established a regulated navigation area that protesters against Shell’s planned Arctic operations can use to exercise their first amendment rights to free speech and peaceable assembly.

The Coast Guard says that the safety zones and navigations area will ensure the mutual safety of all waterway users, including Shell’s vessels and vessels involved in protests against Shell’s plans.

The restrictions apply from April 28 until June 30.

Shell is using Seattle as an assembly point for some of its Arctic fleet, before moving the fleet north towards the Chukchi.

A number of environmental organizations are vehemently opposed to Shell’s planned Chukchi Sea drilling, saying that the drilling poses unacceptable environmental risks. For a few days in early April protesters from activist organization Greenpeace boarded the drilling vessel Polar Pioneer, under charter to Shell and being carried by heavy lift vessel to the Seattle area. And some groups have sued the Port of Seattle, hoping to prevent Shell from using the port.

On April 11 Judge Sharon Gleason from the federal District Court in Alaska issued a temporary restraining order against Greenpeace, banning protesters from the organization from boarding or interfering with certain of Shell’s vessels. However, the judge has yet to rule on broadening the injunction to cover all of the vessels engaged in Shell Chukchi Sea program.

When announcing its new safety zone rule the Coast Guard said that it is possible that Greenpeace may attempt to again board the Blue Marlin, the heavy lift vessel carrying the Polar Pioneer. In addition, environmental groups have announced an intention to form a “kayak flotilla” in Puget Sound, in protest against Shell’s activities, the Coast Guard said.

- Alan Bailey