Shell @ T-5: New scrutiny for Polar Pioneer & ‘Solar Pioneer’

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)
From around the Web tonight: Updates on the drilling platform Polar Pioneer and the protest barge Solar Pioneer, both still in West Seattle waters. We’d photographed the latter tonight from Don Armeni Boat Ramp after noticing it had moved, which was expected after it ran afoul of the Coast Guard, among others, as Sydney Brownstone of The Stranger has been chronicling. Tonight our partners at The Seattle Times had an update too; here’s their backstory about the barge. It’s now anchored out of the prime dive zone.

Meantime, Brownstone reports tonight that the state Department of Natural Resources is concerned Polar Pioneer might be taking up too much space in the West Waterway adjacent to T-5. So it’s asking Shell some questions, with a June 1st deadline for answers. That’s three days before the deadline for Shell, T-5 interim lease-holder Foss Maritime, and the Port of Seattle to respond to the city’s Notice of Violation, as reported here last Tuesday.

SIDE NOTE: No new protest plans reported here. But in Bellingham tonight, an activist is reported to have fastened herself to the anchor chain of a Shell barge, the Arctic Challenger.

M May 23, 2015 (12:39 am)

tee

Smitty May 23, 2015 (7:42 am)

Now, *THAT* is ugly!

DP May 23, 2015 (8:13 am)

@Gus – like commenting on a blog?

Yardvark May 23, 2015 (9:39 am)

Great to hear that this might get Shell evicted. Now to evict the Port Commissioners that caused this whole mess. Such a pathetically awful example of cronyism.

Vanessa May 23, 2015 (10:25 am)

I heard on NPR or local news radio, that that oil rig and the way that it is anchored, is destroying beautiful sea life down below. I guess some scuba divers were able to see how this is happening. I can only imagine, the anemonies and star fish and more being killed. I imagine some of you won’t care one bit, but killing any life is horrible. So you oil rig lovers, don’t start spewing your hateful remarks at this. Get a life and save a life. It all matters.

WSB May 23, 2015 (10:41 am)

Vanessa – divers actually found that, luckily, it had not done much damage (as pointed out in the link above). But it still wasn’t in the right place. So it needed to move, and has moved. – TR

westseattledood May 23, 2015 (11:17 am)

Maybe I am understanding incorrectly but I thought it was the protestor’s rented barge which was moved. Not the oil rig.

WSB May 23, 2015 (11:26 am)

Yes, correct, it’s the barge, not the rig, that moved. And the barge is what was involved in *concern* about damage, but apparently not much done, per the divers who went in to check. Divers aren’t anywhere near the Polar Pioneer oil rig unless they are part of the work that’s being done, and the concerns about it don’t involve wildlife – as linked above, those concerns involve that it’s too big for where it’s moored, and that the Port doesn’t have the right kind of permit to allow the platform to tie up there.

ChefJoe May 23, 2015 (12:20 pm)

Yes, Vanessa is incorrect and the rented protest barge was being operated unsafely (without proper lights, fire extinguishers) and dropping large anchors into actively used and preserved dive areas. So, the most acute damage to the sound (although still minor so far) is from the people protesting the shell rig.

they May 23, 2015 (12:26 pm)

Seems to me the only vessel damaging wildlife so far is the barge…priceless you can make this stuff up. I to have concerns about the effects of drilling land or sea, but the current examples of energy focused on this just impacts the people that are needed to support the effort and the tactics of frustrating them just triggers push back. All the focus has to be put on the lawmakers, Picket there place of business cast your vote for someone else this and only this will certainly fast track change. Anything else is just entertainment. Carry on….

Maris May 23, 2015 (12:54 pm)

Ironic that the barge has done more damage in Elliot Bay than the oil rig! ;-)

MrsB May 23, 2015 (1:27 pm)

And I doubt that few, if any, of last weekend’s protesters transported their kayaks and canoes on top of their Teslas, or even hybrids.

joel May 23, 2015 (2:23 pm)

did the city have proper zoning for tent city hosted for 3 years on West Marginal? any idea what the continued expense is to rent the fence sealing off the old tent city site?

Melissa May 23, 2015 (10:28 pm)

Many of y’all don’t read so well. There was concern about harm that the protesy barge could do, but the damage done is negligable. Meanwhile, the damage the Shell rig can do is catastrophic.

Jw May 23, 2015 (11:44 pm)

Let me help Melissa…”there was concern about harm that the protest barge *did* do, but the damage done is negligable. Meanwhile, the damage the Shell rig *may or may not* do is catastrophic.
-fixed.

diverlaura May 24, 2015 (2:33 pm)

https://youtu.be/bofA3t9dJ08 at about 1:45 you see the ‘jackstraw’ pilings, almost directly beneath where the barge was anchored. (shot several months ago)

Kevin May 25, 2015 (5:08 pm)

I am all for protecting the environment, but the barge is more of an “Eyesore” than the Shell rig with its sign and sitting off what until now was a very scenic view of the city. I would rather have the people on the barge replenishing its supplies with a kayak then a boat with a motor that uses oil, when their own sign says, “Oil is the past.”

Born on Alki 59 May 26, 2015 (1:56 pm)

I wonder if the protest barge has the proper permit(s) to “drop anchor” in Elliott Bay outside of the normal deep water commercial barge anchor areas?
It is anchored in relatively shallow water very close to shore, not to mention quite an eyesore.
One strong storm and a failed anchorage and this rust bucket could create its own environmental disaster…..

Kevin May 28, 2015 (8:07 am)

It is not only a rust bucket and eyesore, but it is now creating noise pollution with it electric guitar playing…party boat atmosphere as they drink….guess that is how you protest….

Dina May 30, 2015 (9:02 pm)

I hear you Kevin, and unfortunately, I hear them, too…every single time, since I live at the top of the hill. :(

It’s like being locked in a basement with a bunch of teenagers playing Guitar Hero badly.

I’m in favor of preventing drilling in the Arctic. The noise fron the barge is so annoying that one has to wonder if they’ve been hired by Shell as agents provocateur to irritate possible supporters.

Sorry, comment time is over.